Better In Time
by HarryandGinnyPotter4ever
Summary: Join Harry, Ginny, Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys as they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives after the war. Set in both Harry and Ginny's perspectives. Sequel to 'Moments in HalfBlood Prince' and 'Ginny Weasley and her Sixth Year at Hogwarts.' Inspired by the song 'Better In Time' by Leona Lewis.
1. Reunited at Last

**Hello - to old readers and new!**

**This is the third story in my Ginny Weasley stories - Moments in HalfBlood Prince and GW and her sixth year at Hogwarts - so you should probably read them first.**

**Here is the first chapter (which I've written instead of studying) so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Also, this chapter will be in 3****rd**** person, as for the others, I'm not sure but I'll try to be consistent.**

**Dedicated to Erica Grace, my new baby cousin, whom I love more than words can express, and to the victims of the Lindt Cafe Siege in Sydney.**

**Chapter 1 - Reunited at Last**

_**It's been the longest winter without you,**_

_**I didn't know where to turn to**_

'_...I was snapped out of it, an unknown time later, by a smattering of applause. I sat up straight, and saw that the doors were open._

_I knew who it was. Heart pounding, I stood up, ready to run to my Harry.'_

Harry had to see _her._ Now. He had to explain everything to her, had to hold her in his arms again. If he didn't want her so bad, he would've gone straight to the Gryffindor Boys dormitory, instead of coming back here where people wanted to give him the praise he didn't deserve. Harry's eyes scanned the Hall, his desire to see her growing stronger by the second. He found her, still with her mother, but now standing.

Ginny's brown eyes met his green ones. Her heart leaped, and that feeling that had come upon her almost three years ago stole over her again. She gave into the pulling sensation and began to run towards him.

Harry walked faster, eager to get to her. The Hall had quieted, everyone eager to see whom he was seeking, but neither one of them cared.

There was Ginny running towards him, that hard blazing look on her face and she threw her arms around him. They gripped each other as tight as humanely possible; thankful to be in each other's arms again. Ginny pulled back and looked into his eyes. He saw sadness and a flash of anger.

"You'd better have a good explanation for all the hell you've put me through this year," she said, and Harry grinned.

"Don't worry, I do," he replied. "I'm sorry."

"You'd better be."

There was still anger in her voice, but she was fighting back a smile. They stared into each other's eyes and she sniffled.

"I'm so glad you're alive," she said, running a hand through his hair, then cupping his face. It was bloody and dirty, but she couldn't care less.

"I love you," he said. She couldn't believe her ears.

_Harry Potter loves me? Me, Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister? _She thought to herself. She wanted to ask, 'Really?' but as she looked in his eyes she knew the answer. Her heart soared.

"I love you too," she said, so tenderly it was like a caress. Harry could see it in her eyes. His heart soared. She loved him. Ginny Weasley _loved_ him. There was only one thing left to do now.

Their lips met in a crash that surely let off red and gold sparks like those when Harry and Voldemort's spells had collided earlier. It was passion as they had never felt before; towering over the firewhisky kiss they had shared last year on his birthday. They were pulling each other closer, when they thought it wasn't humanely possible.

His arms tightened around her and he - literally - lifted her off her feet so as to kiss her better (for his neck was starting to hurt). It sounded as though everyone was applauding, but that wasn't their focus. No, their focus was on how good it felt to kiss properly, how much they had both missed it. How spirit-lifting it felt to be able to be with each other properly now; no Voldemort, no nothing to keep them apart.

After what seemed like a glorious eternity, they broke apart. They stared into each other's eyes, and grinned at the remaining applause and wolf-whistles.

"_What _just happened?" They turned to find that Percy had spoken, and looked very confused and bewildered. They laughed and Ginny leaned into Harry.

"Yeah, and he's not the first boyfriend she's had," replied Ron, who was grinning slightly.

"Wh-what?" spluttered Percy and they laughed. Harry began to lean into Ginny to the point where she thought she'd fall over.

"Harry, are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," he replied. "Just had a dizzy spell."

Before she could reply, Madam Pomfrey appeared and said, "All right, Potter, I'm going to heal you up and then you're going to go straight to your dormitory and sleep. _No_ exceptions."

Harry nodded and he and Ginny sat down, hands linked. Madam Pomfrey began tending to his wounds, eliciting winces and the like. When there was no more blood visible and his cuts where slivers, she turned to Ginny.

"You should have seen me earlier," she said, lips pursed.

"Sorry, I -"

"Never mind, it's all right," she said brusquely, and began tending to her. When she was done, Ginny felt her face. Thankfully, it was now deflated except for the fabric on her deeper cuts. **(A/N: I don't know if they use bandaids, so let's just go with fabric :A/N) **

Madam Pomfrey then moved along the table to the rest of her family, Mrs Weasley at her shoulder. Harry stood up and looked hesitantly at Ginny, and then her father. A silent communication seemed to happen, then Mr Weasley smiled and motioned to the doors.

Looking relieved, Harry held out his hand to her and pulled her up when she took it. They walked hand-in-hand out of the Hall, and silently made their way to Gryffindor Tower.

When Ginny was going to question him on how he was still standing, he stumbled into her, and leaned on her for the rest of the way. When they approached the Fat Lady, Harry said, "I'm sorry, we don't know the password."

"You just saved our lives._You_ don't need a password," she said, smiling, and swinging open.

"Thank-you," he called to her before entering. It was hardly damaged and there was dust everywhere. Thankfully, there was no one else there except for them.

They made their way up the staircase to the boy's dormitory. Once inside, Ginny guided Harry to his bed and pulled back the covers. He sat down, removed his shoes and lay down with a soft plunk. He sighed in pleasure at the softness of a proper bed, and let himself sink into it.

Once Ginny had removed her shoes, she climbed in next to him and drew up the covers around them. She sunk into it too, enjoying the softness against her aching body. She opened her eyes and noticed Harry watching her, eyes soft and smitten, with a small smile playing on his lips. She grinned, leaned over and kissed him. The smile was still on his lips, and his eyes remained closed.

"I'm really tired," he told her, slightly slurring his words.

"No, really?" she replied sarcastically.

"Anyway, I promise I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow; just tell me when you're ready to deal with it all."

"Tomorrow," he repeated firmly, and she found the strength to roll her eyes. She continued to stare at him as his face began to relax with sleep. There were very dark circles under his eyes that she hoped would soon be gone, and she noticed that he had forgotten to remove his glasses. She pointed this out to him.

"'Nother time," he said quietly. She sighed and plucked them off, then placed them on his bedside table. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her to him. She rested her head on his chest, and began to let the black waves of sleep wash over her.

"Love you, Gin."

"Love you too."

And sleep came and encased them both with its dark yet inviting wings.

**I hope you liked it! I'm sorry that it's taken awhile, but I started my senior year and was busy with that, then to top it all off I got writers block on how to end it. **

**Anyway, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I promise to have the next chapter up ASAP.**

**Love,**

**HarryandGinnyPotter4ever xx**


	2. Back to the Burrow

**Hey all!**

**I know it's been ages, but I got really sick and then school started and I just haven't had any free time until now (even now I'm supposed to be writing study notes for my upcoming exams). Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed and favourited, especially Annegirl, michael the mecromaster, guests, pottergreycastle4ever and anyone else I've forgotten. I hope you like it!**

**Chapter 2 - Back to the Burrow**

_**See somehow I can't forget you,  
After all that we've been through**_

Ginny's eyes opened to the yellow light streaming in through the windows.

She continued to blink slowly, adjusting to the light and being awake. It had been a long night. Or nights. She felt Harry's arm tighten around her. He was still fast asleep. He deserved it; he had been fighting this battle since he was little. They had also woken each other up during the night from nightmares.

She shuddered and pressed her hands into her eyes as the images rolled over her, replaying in her mind what had happened that night. She pressed them harder against her eyes, as though hoping the physical pain would take away the emotional pain.

She sat up ubruptly and grabbed her wand as she heard the dormitory door open and bang shut.

"_Ronald!"_ she heard Hermione hiss angrily. "They could still be sleeping!"

"Calm down, I didn't do it voluntarily!" he replied just as angrily.

"Harry must be pretty tired," Ginny mused aloud, "because I don't know how anyone would be able to sleep through your bickering."

She pulled back the hangings to see their stunned faces peering at her, and chuckled. She quickly scanned the room and saw that they were the only ones in the dormitory.

"Everyone's up and in Hall or gone home," said Hermione, who seemed to know what Ginny was thinking.

"How long have we been sleeping?" Ginny asked.

"Almost two days."

"Yeah and as soon as Harry gets up we'll be leaving," said Ron, and Ginny nodded.

She was shocked that she had slept so long; perhaps it was the grief that now pulled at her heart like a harpist at the strings of a harp. She didn't know whether to be relieved at the fact that they were going home. Now that she thought about it, it was quite daunting...there would be something even worse than a war to face…

"How's everyone?" she asked, trying to push away the thoughts of what awaited them at the Burrow.

"As good as they can be," said Hermione in a hushed voice.

"And George?"

"He's well…"

Ginny didn't need her to finish the sentence. No one could imagine what George was going through and the state of shock he was in. There was no doubt that he hadn't spoken a word since that night.

"Um, do you want to do go down and eat something, and we'll stay with Harry?" asked Hermione.

"No, it's ok; I can wait for Harry," said Ginny. She had just lost her appetite.

"Um, ok, are you –?"

"I'm fine. Just go back down and we'll meet you there. It shouldn't be that much longer until he wakes up."

"All right," Hermione sighed, and they left.

Ginny sighed and flopped back down. She closed her eyes, but there was no chance of her going back to sleep now. She sighed, and, realising that she had a full bladder, went to the bathroom.

She got a shock when she looked at the state her hands were in when she went to wash them. They were covered in dirt and dried blood, whose blood it was, she didn't know. Suddenly a constricting and panicky feeling rose up inside her like a snake, and she scrubbed violently at her hands, ridding them of any traces of that night.

When she finished she looked in the mirror and, seeing more blood, vigorously scrubbed her face until it too was clean. When finished, she stood there, breathing heavily. Images were running through her head again; flashes of lights, bodies strewn across the floors, screams were ringing in her ears…she was starting to feel light headed…

_No_, said a defiant voice in her head. _I _will not_ pass out. I will not give in_.

She straightened up – she hadn't even realised that she was leaning against the sink – ignored the mirror and marched out of the bathroom. She almost had a heart attack when someone launched them self upon her, and she instantly began to struggle.

"Hey – hey, it's just me!" yelled Harry, grabbing her arms and making her face him. He looked into her eyes, and his green ones were wide with fear and concern.

"Don't ever do that again!" she said, her brain still numb with shock, as her heartbeat returned to normal.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think," he said, "I just – I woke up and I saw that you weren't there and I just – I just panicked…"

His emerald green eyes bore into her chocolate brown ones, pleading for her to understand. Her shoulders slumped.

"It's all right," she sighed. "I understand."

He nodded and released her. They stood there awkwardly for a second, before he pulled her into his arms. He tilted her head up to his, and tentatively leaned in. When she didn't hesitate, he pressed his lips to hers. It was gentle and seemed to fill them both with warmth.

**GWHPGWHPGWHPGWHPGWHPGWHP**

Harry stared apprehensively at the doors to the Great Hall. After pulling on their shoes, Ginny and him had made their way down, meeting others on the way that thanked him, shook his hand and wished him well. He was surely about to face that again from the inhabitants of the Hall, and found himself hoping that the crowd had died down by now…

Ginny, sensing his apprehension squeezed his hand reassuringly, and placed her hand against the door. Together they opened them and entered. Much to Harry's pleasure, there were only a few families scattered around the Hall, whom, upon realising who had entered, applauded and approached him. Ginny held tight to his hand the whole time, and Harry felt so grateful to her that he could not express it in words.

When the crowd had finally dispersed, they made their way over to the cluster of redheads. When they approached, Mrs Weasley rose and pulled Harry into the tightest hug she had ever given him.

"Oh, Harry," she said, her hoarse voice quavering. "Th-thank you so much, w-we can't thank you enough - "

"It's all right, I - " he broke off, unsure of what else to say. He couldn't help the guilt that tugged at his heart. "I-I'm so sorry about F-Fred, I -"

"Th-thank you," she said, pulling him even tighter. She pulled away and cupped his face affectionately. "Now, when you've eaten. We're _all_ going home."

She looked at him as though she knew he was thinking of leaving them, and Harry couldn't help feeling grateful – and a little guilty – for her invitation. She gripped him in a surprisingly strong grip and sat him down. She did the same to Ginny, and started piling food on their plates.

When they had finished (Harry devoured his platter somewhat savagely. It felt amazing to have a proper meal again.), they stood up, ready to part. Mr Weasley pulled Harry into a hug and thanked him, and all the boys, Fleur and Hermione followed suite. The only one who didn't speak was George, not that Harry had expected him to. They then made their way to Professor McGonagall's office for transportation home, seeing as the anti-apparation barriers had been restored.

When they entered, she stood and came over to embrace Harry. It was awkward and brief, but nevertheless nice.

"Now, Potter," she said, softness breaking through her usually stern tone and appearance. "There are no words to express my gratitude and admiration for what you did on the 2nd of May. I truly wish you all the best in life."

Stunned, Harry replied, "Th-thanks."

She nodded and continued briskly, "Now, Kingsley and I – and I'm sure everyone else - do not want you to recount everything that has happened over the past nine months right now; when you are truly ready we will hear it."

He nodded, relieved. He didn't feel like sharing his story with anyone else until he had shared it with Ginny and cleared everything up with Ron and Hermione.

"Right. Now," continued Professor McGonagall, "your portkey is ready."

She pulled out a battered tin can and placed it on the table. The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione crowded around it and placed a finger on it. Not long after they felt the familiar tugging at their navals and were lifted off the ground. Their feet hit the grassy ground, making them buckle to their knees. They all stood up and looked at the Burrow.

It was the same as ever. It still looked as though magic was just holding it together, and the inside appeared untouched. Still, they were alert and had their wands out as they entered. Everyone split up and searched the house for any traps or curses left behind from the Death Eaters, but, thankfully, no one encountered anything.

They all returned to the kitchen and Bill and Fleur returned to Shell Cottage. The rest took it in turns having showers and Harry - after much protesting - went first, followed by Hermione, Ginny, the boys, Mrs Weasley and then Mr Weasley. While everyone was waiting for their turn, they sat in silence in the kitchen, each lost in their own thoughts.

It was such a relief to shower again, to scrub off the blood and dirt, to put on fresh, clean clothes (all their battle clothes were thrown into a pile), to erase all memories of that night. When everyone had showered, George retreated to his room, and soon the others followed suite.

Once Harry was alone with Ginny in her room, they sat down on her bed. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Harry spoke.

"Gin," he said softly, and she turned to face him. "I owe you an explanation."

"It's all right, you don't have to tell me now," she said hastily. She didn't want him to feel pressured.

"No, it's better to do it now seeing as the pain's not going anywhere yet," he said, thinking of Dumbledore and his fourth year. To his surprise, thinking of Dumbledore didn't cause him any anger or pain.

He began his story with the Prophecy, his lessons with Dumbledore last year, then the Horcruxes and the events of the night Dumbledore died. Then he told her of how he had to continue the hunt with Ron and Hermione.

He told her of the camping, of Godrics Hollow, of gettting the sword of Gryffindor and destroying the locket (he left out Ron's departure; she didn't need to know that now… if ever). He continued on with their visit to the Lovegood's and their subsequent discovery of, and his obsession with, the Deathly Hallows. His voice was hoarse from all the speaking, but he couldn't stop the words pouring out of him.

He then told her of their capture by the Snatchers, and Malfoy Manor (she became distressed when he told her about Bellatrix and Hermione) and their escape with Dobby to Shell Cottage. Next, he told her of their discovery of Voldemort possessing the Elder Wand, planning with Griphook and their break-in to Gringotts.

He then told her of Griphook's betrayal (she cussed words that he was sure Mrs Weasley wouldn't approve of at this), their escape on the Dragon and Harry's vision of Rowena Ravenclaw and Hogwarts. Then it was their arrival at Hogsmeade and their talk with Aberforth.

Next he told her of his reuniting with Ron and Hermione, their adventures in the Chamber and what happened in the Room of Requirement after her departure.

"And that reminds me," she said as he paused in between telling her about the fiend-fire. "If you ever side against me with my parents again, I will hex you into the next century."

"I don't doubt that you would," he admitted, and made a mental note to himself. "Anyway, then the fire destroyed the Diadem, and I saw into Tom's mind again and we followed him to the Shrieking Shack."

"I can't believe he didn't even fight," Ginny said disgustedly. "He just let his followers die for him."

"Yeah, in the end, nobody meant anything to him, which brings me to the next bit of our story…"

He relayed to her Tom and Snape's conversation that they'd overheard, their witness of Snape's death and Harry's viewing of his memories in the Penseive.

"Wow," she said, stunned. "I-I can't believe he was _good_."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, and continued on, telling her of how he discovered he was a Horcrux and explaining how he needed to die in order to be able to destroy Voldemort forever.

"I knew it was you behind me!" she exclaimed when he told her that he saw her. "You could have said goodbye," she added quietly.

"No, I couldn't have. I wouldn't have been able to do it if I did," he told her, and she nodded. "I thought of you, you know."

"When?"

"Before I died," he replied.

"Good," she replied, grinning, and he grinned too. He recounted his venture into the forest, the Resurrection Stone and seeing his parents, Sirius and Lupin. He relayed his death, his talk with Dumbledore in limbo and coming back to earth. She had a funny expression on her face as he recounted this, but shrugged it off when he asked her about it.

"Then Tom sent Narcissa to check if I was dead, and she covered for me when I told her Malfoy was all right. After that, he tortured me for a bit and then, well, you know the rest."

She nodded, but didn't say anything. Her head was reeling; there was so much information to take in. She stared at him in amazement.

"What?" he asked.

"You're amazing," she blurted out. "You've been through so much and you're still _you_…"

"Are you saying that I wasn't amazing before?"

"Not even close," she replied, grinning, and he feigned offence. She chuckled and he grinned.

"So," he said.

"So," she said.

"Do you want to talk about what happened at Hogwarts?"

"I think one story is enough for now," she admitted. "But I promise I'll tell you soon."

They soon found themselves lying down, her head resting on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat as he stroked her hair. Each beat sent warmth and comfort running through her veins and seemed to keep the unendurable sadness that was threatening to overcome her at bay.

**I hope you enjoyed it! I'm quite tired now (it's nearly 9pm and I've been up since 4am), but happy with this chapter. I can't promise that I'll post soon, as I have exams in a couple of weeks, but I will straight after :). **


	3. Those Guilty Moments

**Hey all!  
Sorry it's been a while - I had school, lots of family stuff and then writer's block :p. Thank you to Annegirl, guests, Menagrazie, jilly98, teresakenny, pppemberly, anzicmatjaz, LittleMissBookwormBraniac, miraelvira, ThePurpleWriter25, , Jackie77, fons19, Williukia, 75check57, orihime55, giotacookie, aye it's spoby, Schori123, Gingerheart5, dreamwriter32, JilySoulmate's, HannahStubbsF, , pottergreycastle4ever and anyone I've forgotten for reviewing and favouriting. Anyway, here's the new chapter, I hope you like it! **

**Chapter 3 – Those Guilty Moments**

_**Going, coming,  
Thought I heard a knock**_

"_I'll get it," said Fred, grinning. He turned and ran after the makeshift quaffle, leaving Ginny alone in the hidden orchard where the Weasley's played Quidditch._

_She span around in circles, her arms outstretched, happy that at least one of her brothers was playing Quidditch with her. When he didn't return, Ginny began to grow weary._

_"Fred?" she called to the bushes. There was no reply. "Fred?"_

_There was only one thing left to do. She squared her shoulders and ran off after him. She pushed through the bushes, calling his name. He still didn't reply, and she fancied that he was hiding and going to prank her. She kept searching, the bushes never ending. She didn't remember them being as numerous. _

_She began to grow frantic and moved faster through the bushes. Branches snagged her arms and clothes, leaving behind no blemishes. Finally she came upon a clearing, and in the centre was a golden, twisting staircase. She followed the twists and turns and saw that it led to the sky, it's destination obscured by clouds._

_She saw a vivid red head upon the staircase and fell to the floor in pain._

"Ginny," said a familiar voice. Someone was shaking her awake. She opened her eyes and found Hermione standing over her looking worried. For a second Ginny was confused, then she realised that her face was wet and her dream cascaded upon her like a bucket of ice. Before she could help it, her eyes blurred and she began to shake with sobs. Hermione sat down and pulled Ginny into her embrace. She held Ginny until the tears subsided, patting her back soothingly. When she returned to her bed, Ginny realised that her hair was wet.

It wasn't the first time she had shared tears over her lost loved ones – Harry had been the one to comfort her then, his tears joining hers. Until now, he had been the only person she'd cried in front of. She gave a small smile as she remembered last night, when they had prepared dinner together.

Her mother, caught up in grief, had forgotten all about dinner. Upon realising this, Ginny decided to take it into her own hands, and Harry had eagerly volunteered to help her.

"_I didn't know you could cook," he told her as they chopped vegetables together._

"_Seriously?" she'd replied. "I make the mince pies for Christmas every year."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yep. I didn't know_ you_ could cook either."_

"_I specialise in breakfast."_

"_Then you'll have to make breakfast for me sometime."_

"_All right."_

"_And you'll bring it to me in bed."_

"_Seeing as I'm making the meal,_ I_ will dictate where it is brought, your Highness," he retorted grinning. She rolled her eyes._

"_And what gives you that right?"_

"_The fact that I saved your life."_

"_You also saved everyone else's life," she'd pointed out._

"_Do you not live on this earth?"_

"_No, I live in space."_

"_If that were true," said Ron as he entered the kitchen with Hermione behind him, "then the world would be a whole lot quieter."_

"_I have no idea what you mean," she'd said, feigning offence as Harry and Hermione laughed._

"_Are you two making dinner?" he'd asked, eyeing the chopped vegetables._

"_Yeah," Ginny had replied, "why?"_

"_Great, we're all going to get food poisoning."_

"_Oh, shut up," she'd said, holding back a grin._

"_Yeah," Harry had said. "It can't be worse than the food we've had over the past 9 months."_

"_Excuse me," Hermione had said, clearly offended. "I know it was horrible, but I did the best with what we had – oh, shut up," she finished, rolling her eyes, as Harry and Ron started laughing._

It had felt so normal that it was hard to believe that they had just been in a war and lost loved ones. Ginny hated those moments because after they wore off, you felt guilty for laughing and forgetting what you had lost.

She sighed and attempted to go back to sleep. She couldn't. She felt lonely and sad and tired, and as though she had aged 10 years. She sighed again. She pulled back the covers, got up and opened the door as quietly as possible. She tiptoed across the landing and up the staircase to the highest level.

She opened the door and made her way to the second bed. Harry looked so young and peaceful as he slept, his chest rising and falling slowly. She pulled back his covers and slipped in. He stirred as she cuddled up close to him.

"Ginny?" he whispered, making her jump.

"No, it's Ron," she replied.

"I knew it," he said as he turned around to face her. He was grinning as he wrapped his arm around her. "Is everything all right?"

"No," she said, her lip trembling. She breathed and willed it all to stop. "I had a…sad dream."

He nodded and pulled her closer, saying, "It's all right; it was just a dream. I'm here now."

She nodded and cuddled into his chest as though it would make the tears go away. With a little help from her self, they did.

**GWHPGWHPGWHP**

Breakfast the next morning was a quiet and painful affair. Like every other meal they had shared since the battle, it reminded them all of what they had lost. It was disturbed by a loud 'crack' and Kingsley Shacklebolt appearing at their door.

"Sorry to disturb you all at this hour," he said in his slow, deep voice, "but I am here to discuss F-Fred's f-funeral with you all."

Everyone at the table seemed to freeze simultaneously. The mention of Fred's funeral made his death feel more pronounced than before. Ginny willed herself not to hyperventilate and run outside at the thought. She made herself stand and join the rest of her family in the sitting room.

Ginny sat on the floor leaning against George's leg, and Harry sat next to her. George gave her a small smile and stroked her hair. He looked at Harry, who was watching the scene and smiling, and moved his hand as though to do the same. Instead, he flicked him, and then patted his head in apology. Harry and Ginny chuckled, while George gave a fleeting grin. Kingsley cleared his throat, and their smiles faded.

"Firstly, I would like to discuss F-Fred's tomb with you," he began in his deep, resonating voice. Mr and Mrs Weasley looked at George; his eyes were already glassy and full of pain.

"He will be buried with my brothers," said Mrs Weasley in a hoarse voice. "In a cemetery not far from the village."

Ginny remembered it vaguely as it had been a long time since they'd visited the graves of her uncles. She remembered that it was adjoined to a cathedral-looking church, and was surrounded by trees and rose bushes. She closed her eyes at the tightness in her chest.

Kingsley nodded and said, "The Ministry will be covering all costs and arrangements. No exceptions," he added firmly when Mr and Mrs Weasley opened their mouths. "There is a standard bouquet of flowers, unless there are any requests?"

"I don't know the names of flowers," said George, "but I want it to be bright. So bright it will remind you of fireworks." This was the first time that George had spoken since the battle. Ginny's chest contracted again.

"As you wish," said Kingsley. "There is also a standard style of tombstone, white marble with black writing." He took out a photograph and passed it around.

"It's beautiful," said Mrs Weasley and she wiped her eyes as she passed it on.

It was beautiful; at the top a cross was nestled between roses and their leaves. This design was separated from the writing by a ripple. It was so much to take in, and Ginny had to force herself not to crumble to pieces.

"The inscription will include the standard name and dates and of course your own message."

"Yes, his full name is F-Fred Gideon W-Weasley and he was born on the 1st of April, 1978," said Mrs Weasley, more tears spilling out of her eyes. Mr Weasley wrapped his arm around her as Kingsley took notes, looking pained. When she seemed incapable of contributing further, Mr Weasley took over.

"We would like it to say, 'Loving s-son and b-brother," he said in a wavering voice, and Mrs Weasley nodded.

"And 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'," said George quietly, looking up defiantly. "That has to be on there."

Kingsley nodded and wrote it down. Harry and Ginny looked at each other, and a mutual understanding passed between them.

"And what day would you like?" he asked quietly.

"Next Friday," said George, looking up. "You know, F for F-Fred…"

They all nodded, and Ginny felt a numbness spreading from her brain to the rest of her body. Once everything else was finalized, Kingsley bid them goodbye and left. They returned in silence to the table.

Once everyone had finished, they each drifted off silently to their rooms. Ginny walked ahead of Harry and sat on her windowsill. She looked out across the acres of the Burrow to the hidden orchard where they had all played Quidditch in the summers. It seemed like so long ago that it could have passed as another lifetime. A lot of the past year felt that way…

Harry joined her in silence, glanced out of the window, and then settled for watching her. There were lines of worry and sadness etched in her face that had not been there the last time he saw her. It pained him to see them. Not only did she act like an adult now, but she also looked like one. Her face had matured and her body, whilst thinner than usual, was curvier.

"It doesn't feel real," she said, speaking for the first time and still glancing out the window, "organising his funeral."

"I know," he agreed. It was as though she had read his mind.

"I never imagined that it would be now, you know? Always in some dark and distant future when we were older and prepared…"

He nodded and reached out to stroke her arm soothingly. She turned to face him and gave him a small, sad smile. She grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers. All of a sudden he yanked her forwards to him, making her laugh. She cuddled up to his chest.

"Next time be gentler," she told him, and he chuckled. They fell into silence and then the smile dropped from her face. God she hated those guilty moments.

**I hope you enjoyed it! I don't know when the next one will be up, but prepare yourself for funerals…**


	4. The First Farewells

**Hey all!**

**So sorry it's been so long but, as you know, I am a senior student now and this term was assessment term. I'm also moving into an exam period when I return to school, so please don't give up on my stories!**

**A massive thank you to orihime55, QuirkyQuills****, ****saints stories****, ****PatDarcy****, ****BeebeeTheReader16****, RRK****, ****ginnyandharry's love, marzipan18, fons19, Jackie77 and anyone else I've forgotten for reviewing, favouriting etc. – it means the world to me!**

**Now, without further adieu, here's the new chapter. I hope you like it.**

**Chapter 4 – The First Farewells**

_**Who's there? No one,  
**__**Thinking that I deserved it**_

The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were having lunch when an owl zoomed in from the window and crash-landed on the table. It corrected itself, looking regal, and ruffled it's light brown feathers. Ginny recognised it at once.

"Mariah?" she said, while the others spluttered over its sudden appearance. The owl turned to look at her. It held out its leg and attached was a letter. She detached it and the owl dipped it's beak in her water and flew to the windowsill.

"Who's it from, dear?" asked Mrs Weasley sounding as tired as she looked. Ginny was still not accustomed to seeing her bloodshot eyes and the dark circles under them. She opened the letter and read it.

_Dear Ginny,_

_How are you? I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your brother, Fred. He was always really nice to me. Just letting you know that Colin's funeral is on Monday…_

"Dennis Creevey," Ginny answered, her throat tight. "Colin's f-funeral is on Monday…"

She read through the rest of the details. It was to be in the morning at a church she didn't know, followed by refreshments and food at his parent's house.

…_I hope you will be there; you were Colin's first friend. Your family is also welcome._

_Love,_

_Dennis_

She closed her eyes, attempting to shut out the pain that was pulsing through her chest. She felt an arm on her back and felt the familiar clogging sensation in her throat.

"I'd better reply," she said, standing up.

"There's some parchment and ink in the lounge room," said her mother. Ginny nodded and went to fetch it. She returned and began writing, thanking him and telling him that she would be attending. She paused.

"Does anyone else want to come?" she asked, looking up.

"I will," said Harry at once. She flashed him a small smile before turning to Ron and Hermione. They looked at each other.

"We'll come too," Hermione said. When no one else said anything, Ginny added their names and finished it. She rolled it up, walked to the windowsill and attached it to Mariah. She watched the owl fly off until it was a speck in the sky.

She sighed and closed her eyes. Two tears slipped out of the corners. She hastily wiped them away and returned to the silent table. She could feel eyes on her, but she ignored them.

"Mariah's an interesting name for an owl," said Hermione, and Ginny wished she hadn't.

"Something to do with his mum's favourite singer," said Ginny, not to be rude. "She said it reminded her of Mariah someone – "

"Carey," supplied Hermione. "I can see the resemblance."

"Yeah, and then it was too late when he wanted it change it."

"Sounds like someone I know," said Ron quietly and she smiled faintly. Her throat was still constricting, and she longed to be out of there. She stood up and left the table without excusing herself. She went outside and headed towards the orchard.

She sat in the middle of it, letting the grass tickle her. It wasn't long before someone sat beside her. She knew who it was.

"He was my first friend," said Ginny quietly.

"I remember," said Harry, "Ron reckoned that you two had a 'Harry Potter Fan Club.'"

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, "Believe it or not, we didn't. _And_ you weren't the sole topic of our conversations."

She remembered the first time she'd met Colin in Charms. She hadn't been able to get over the fact that he'd been smaller than her. He was still smaller than her. With a jolt, a flash of green light shot across her vision. Her vision swam with tears.

"I was there when he d-died," she said, and the tears began spilling out. "He'd just s-saved my l-life and we were t-talking. In a split-s-second he was g-gone."

Harry wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. While she cried into his chest, he stroked her hair soothingly. He gulped back his own tears; he wished that he had been kinder and more understanding toward Colin. He couldn't help thinking that it was funny how you could never fully appreciate a person until they were gone. When she pulled back, Harry grabbed her face and wiped away her tears.

"Thanks," she said hoarsely, giving him a watery smile. He nodded and gave her a small but reassuring kiss. She looked at him and noticed that there was something dark in his eyes. "What is it?"

"What's what?" he replied, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not," he said. She suspected what it was.

"You feel responsible, don't you?"

He looked momentarily surprised, and then hung his head in shame. He said, "They died for me…if I'd just handed myself over sooner –"

"Then they still would have died," she said firmly, her sadness dissipating and her heart rate picking up. "Don't you get it? They didn't die _for_ you; they died fighting to make the world a better place! They died to make sure that _you_ lived on and got rid of Voldemort!"

He sat there in silence as the impact of her words hit him. He sighed.

"You know I'm right," she said in a final sort of tone, and Harry grinned. They stayed out there, oscillating between talking and sitting in silence, until the sky began to turn from blue to the bluish-purple colour of dusk.

Once inside they joined Ron and Hermione, who had their heads bent together and were whispering quietly, in the lounge room. They stopped talking and looked around when Harry and Ginny joined them.

"Where you two outside this whole time?" asked Hermione, and they nodded. They had turned to leave when Harry noticed Ron nodding impressively out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" Harry asked him.

"You're the first person she's let stay with her in her space," replied Ron. "With the rest of us she kicked and screamed until we left."

"Wait, your sister loses it when someone enters her space, and you still let me go out there?" said Harry, slightly hurt. Ron smiled and shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.

**GWHPGWHPGWHP**

"Gin?" said someone, as Ginny was shaken awake. She opened her eyes and recognized Harry's outline in the dark.

"Wa's wrong?" she yawned, sitting up.

"Nightmare," he said simply. She scooted over and pulled down the covers. He got in and they lay down, inches apart in her cramped single bed.

She stroked his head and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Just the usual," he whispered back, "the battle, Tom killing everyone I love."

She nodded and continued stroking his hair. He closed his eyes, and she didn't stop until her hand went limp with sleep. After a series of bad dreams and waking up in between each, Ginny awoke, her eyes stinging. She continued to lie there, curled up against Harry's chest, trying to figure out why she felt so terrible. She looked at the calendar on the wall, and lay back down, burying her face in Harry's chest.

When she could deny the time nor date any longer, she woke him up. They held each other for a bit, and then Ginny went to wake Hermione. She was surprised to find that her bed was empty. Perhaps she and Harry weren't the only ones making trips to each other at night.

The four of them sat at the breakfast table in silence. Ginny played with her toast, breaking off pieces and eating them. They felt like nails being dragged along a blackboard as they slid down her throat. She noticed that Hermione was playing with her cereal, and that the boys were taking an unusually long time to eat.

Her chest was tight and the toast felt like it was stuck in her throat as she pulled on a plain, long-sleeve black dress. It was the only black dress that she owned. She pulled back her hair and debated whether to put on make up or not. She jumped as arms wrapped around her. Then she silently turned into Hermione's embrace. Her vision swam, but she willed the tears not to spill.

When Hermione pulled away, Ginny, feeling warm and grateful towards her. She looked at her wanting to say something, but nothing came out. Hermione gave her a small smile, and Ginny noticed that her eyes were glassy. They left her room together, their arms around each other.

**GWHPGWHPGWHP**

Ginny was sitting ramrod straight with Harry and Patty on either side of her. Patty was already weeping silently. Ginny stared straight ahead at the light streaming in from the window, making shards of rainbow. When everyone began to stand, Ginny pulled Patty up gently by the elbow. Her legs were shaking as she saw the muggle priest walk past, followed by the black and silver coffin that was lavishly decorated with lilies. Colin's father, Dennis and a few boys with the same mousy hair and small stature's that she assumed were relatives carried it. She gulped as Colin's mother followed tearfully, openly sobbing and being supported by a woman who looked like her sister.

Ginny's eyes didn't leave the coffin as it journeyed to the front. She gripped Harry's hand as it was rested upon a pedestal, and the boys trooped sadly to their seats. They sat down as the priest stood in front.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," he said and everyone followed suit. "We gather here today in God's name to farewell Colin Creevey, so that he may enter the Kingdom of God…"

They all winced as Colin's mother's sobbing became more pronounced. Ginny wished she could put her a silencing charm on her, because Colin's tiny body could not be in the coffin at the front of the room…but Ginny shuddered as she remembered the flash of green light that had brought them here…

She felt cold and numb as the priest droned on. She felt detached from her body, as though she was viewing the scene from above. She wrapped her arm around Patty, who dabbed her eyes, gulped and faced the front. Ginny doubted she could see anything though, because tears began spilling out again. A distant part of her brain seemed to register that it was odd that she was not crying, when Patty and Hermione were. But that didn't matter…nothing mattered now…There were prayers and readings being said, and a hymn sung, but none of that registered to Ginny, who felt light and void of thought and emotion.

Then it was time for Communion. When it was their turn to join the line, Ginny's legs continued to shake, and she held tight to Harry. She felt him squeeze back, and her legs felt a little less like jelly. As they got closer to the front, she saw that you could go up to the coffin. She watched as some people kissed it while others touched it and murmured something.

Her heart was knocking painfully at her ribs, and it was her turn to receive the bread. As it dissolved in her mouth, she approached the coffin. Once she was right up to it, the strangest sensation came over her, and her heart calmed down. She stroked the wood gently, and stood there, unsure what to say.

"Goodbye, Colin," she whispered, hoping that it would suffice. Her lip trembled and as she removed her hand, her eyes blurred with tears. Before she could stop them – not that she would – they were pouring down the sides of her face. She wiped her face so that she could see, and kept walking. She didn't look at the front pew, where Colin's family was seated, but the thought brought more tears to her eyes.

Once she was back in the pew, she let the tears continue pouring down her face. Harry stroked her back soothingly and she gave him a watery smile.

"…And now, Dennis, Colin's brother, will say the eulogy," said the priest once everyone had returned to their seats. He moved to sit down. The small figure of Dennis rose and made his way to the front. He smoothed out a piece of paper, took a deep breath and looked up; his face was glazed with tears. Ginny attempted to calm herself down, wiping her face and blowing her nose with tissues from Patty. She could hear people sobbing, sniffling and blowing noses in the silence.

"C-Colin w-was my older brother, and b-best f-friend," said Dennis, his lip trembling. Ginny found her eyes welling up with tears again. "M-most people, when getting a new s-sibling, are angry and try to hurt them for taking up all t-the attention. But not C-Colin. C-Colin was so excited a-and did e-everything to help m-mum."

Ginny smiled, and tasted the salt of her tears. She could imagine an even smaller Colin bouncing with joy at the arrival of his younger brother, and following his mother eagerly around the house. Even at Hogwarts Colin had never failed to care for his little brother.

"H-he was always there for m-me," continued Dennis after he'd wiped his eyes. "Every day he'd make the e-effort to s-see me and make sure that I h-had f-friends and was h-having f-fun. H-he wasn't s-selfish. He cared for everyone, and was willing to h-help all who n-needed it. H-he was s-small, but he h-had the b-biggest h-heart of all. I'm g-going to m-miss him so much," he stopped and took a deep, shaky breath. After a little bit, he continued, "b-but I am g-glad that I h-had the opportunity t-to know h-him in t-the f-first p-p-place."

He took a deep breath and pocketed the paper. He touched the coffin again, and went to sit back down. Ginny's face was wet with tears, her throat was clogged and her chest hurt. The rest of the mass passed in a blur, and before long they were heading outside to the cemetery. They gathered around the freshly dug hole. Ginny shuddered. They didn't have a clear view; Colin's family were standing in front of them, but it was enough. She held tight to Harry, whose face was wet, and Patty, who was shaking with renewed sobs, as the priest spoke again.

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection for eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ," he said, "we commend to the Almighty God our brother Colin; and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him_, _the Lord make His face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give himpeace. Amen."

Ginny leaned into Harry's embrace as they began lowering the coffin into the ground. She didn't care if she ruined his nice dress robes, and neither did he. She cried for her friend and brother Colin, who loved and accepted her at Hogwarts before everyone else. She couldn't think straight as she sobbed. She couldn't believe that this was goodbye, that she'd never see or speak to her oldest friend ever again…

And then they were lowering the earth over the grave, and Colin's mother had fallen to her knees. Then people tossed soil or placed a white flower on the newly replaced earth. Everyone departed for the Creevey household and the group of five returned to the secluded spot that they had apparated to before.

"W-what's the address again?" said Harry, his voice hoarse. Ginny told him, and then she and Patty gripped tight to his arm. There was the familiar suffocating sensation that left them temporarily breathless. Then they could breathe again, and they savoured it. They looked around and had apparated at the end of the street. They waited until they saw the cars from the church arriving, and proceeded to walk down the street.

There was a line leading out of the house as people greeted and gave condolences to Colin's immediate family. They shuffled down the line, Ginny in the front, until they came to his parents.

"I'm sorry," said Ginny quietly as she embraced Colin's mother.

"Thank you, dear," she said in a strained voice. Ginny said and did the same to Colin's father and Dennis.

"I'm so glad you could be here," said Dennis as he embraced her, and her heart ached.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. And your eulogy was beautiful. C-Colin would be so proud of you."

He thanked her and she continued giving condolences to Colin's immediate family, regardless of the fact that she hadn't met them. Eventually they made it out to the backyard, which was scattered with tables and chairs. They took seats at a nearby table with Neville and Luna.

"I can't believe it," said Neville softly after they had all exchanged hugs.

"No one ever can at first," said Luna, as dreamy as ever, but looking wan. She also had red rings around her eyes.

They fell silent, and, for the first time ever, the majority of their time together remained in silence. There were a few drabs of conversation now and then, especially when the other DA members approached them, but the sombre mood pervaded everywhere. They got food and drinks when they came out, but they only took it to be polite and picked at their food. After a few hours, Ginny couldn't take it anymore. She desperately wanted to escape the dull mood, the fact that her oldest friend was dead and Patty's vacant attitude. But they didn't go. They didn't leave until after Colin's father had stood up to say a thank you speech and collapsed into tears. The sight of it had made fresh tears leak from Ginny's eyes.

"Shall we go?" asked Harry, his voice hoarse, and Ginny nodded thankfully. They said goodbye to their friends, and Ginny grew worried when Patty remained unresponsive. She contemplated shaking her, when she was met with a look from Patty that clearly said, 'Leave me be. This is how I'm coping.' They moved off and said goodbye to Colin's family. They were nearly to the back door when they heard a voice call out.

"Ginny! Ginny, wait!" She felt a jolt of surprise when she realised that it was her ex-boyfriend, Michael Corner. They stopped and waited for him. When he approached them he looked as though he was going to hug her, but Harry wrapped his arm around her. He rocked back and settled for, "I'm really sorry about Colin. I remember you two were very close."

"Thank you," she said, her voice strained. They stood there in an awkward silence, and Ginny glanced at Harry after she noticed that Michael had blanched after making eye contact. He had and hard and unwelcoming look on his face that almost made Ginny laugh out loud. She nudged him subtly as she said, "Have they held Elijah's funeral yet?"

"No," he said, sounding relieved. "It's tomorrow."

"Could you please give me the details? I'd like to pay my last respects to him."

"Sure," he nodded, and told her.

"Thank you," she said. "Um, I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you."

With an awkward wave they made their way through the house.

"Who's Elijah?" Harry blurted out.

Ginny refrained from laughing and said, "He was a Slytherin and a new member of the DA."

"Blimey," said Ron quietly, and Harry and Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, he was a really good guy," she continued as they made their way down the street. "He was killed by the Death Eaters for saving a group of lost kids."

There was a sharp intake of breath while Harry and Ron blanched. There was pain in Ginny's chest at the memory of a bloody and dying Elijah, and she closed her eyes and pushed it away. No one said anything else and, once out of sight, they apparated back to the Burrow.

**GWGWGWGWGWGWGW**

The next day Ginny donned the same outfit and made her way downstairs. Harry was waiting for her in the kitchen, looking as breath taking as ever in his black dress robes. He had wanted to come with her, claiming that it was to be her moral support, but she knew he had other motives.

Elijah's funeral didn't take place in a church. It was outside in the cemetery where he was to be buried. The sun had gone in, making the day even cooler than it was. Ginny couldn't help shivering a little, and the tears made it worse.

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection for eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ," said the wizarding celebrant, "we commend to the Almighty God our brother Elijah; and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him_, _the Lord make His face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give himpeace. Amen."

Ginny thought that she just might come to hate those words. She sighed and glanced around. Unlike Colin's funeral, there were no sounds of uncontrollable sobbing. Majority wasn't even crying. Elijah's own immediate family stood regal with glazed faces as his body was lowered into the ground. Harry, Ginny and Michael backed away as his family and friends swarmed to toss the dirt and lay flowers.

"All right," Michael said, breaking the silence. His eyes were red from crying. "Do you think we should go and give our condolences?"

"We're not going back to their house?" asked Harry.

"Something tells me it's a 'Slytherin Only' gathering," Ginny said darkly. She had recognized many of the families as being pureblood and wealthy. Harry nodded. "So I suggest we go now."

The boys nodded and they made their way through the dispersing crowd. Elijah's parents and siblings looked confused as they approached them. They looked at Harry and their eyes widened in shock. Seeing as they were staring at him, Harry decided to go first.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," he said, clearly uncomfortable. "I didn't know him, but I'm sure he was very brave."

They nodded in thanks and each shook his hand, which surprised Ginny.

Michael spoke next, "I was Elijah's friend. We knew each other for a couple of years, and I'm sorry that the world has lost such a wonderful man."

They nodded in thanks again and shook his hand too. They turned to Ginny, and she wasn't sure where to start.

"Um, I'm very sorry about Elijah," she said lamely, and mentally kicked herself. "I didn't know him for long, but he was always very kind to me. In return, I was there when he passed away."

"You were?" his mother gasped, speaking for the first time.

"Yes," she said, and the images began to swarm across her vision. "A group of Death Eaters used a dark curse called, 'Sectumsempra', which creates wounds that can't be healed by normal means."

"B-But why -?"

"They turned on him because he defended a group of young kids that got lost during the evacuation."

His mother's eyes swam with tears while his father embraced her and his siblings huddled.

"My b-beautiful, brave boy…"

"Unfortunately," Ginny continued, "by the time I got there it was too late. So I held his hand until he…until he…"

They nodded and Ginny fell silent, relieved.

"Thank you," said Elijah's father and she noticed that they had almost identical voices. "No one could tell us how he died…and thank you for being there in our place as he p-passed away…"

"It was nothing," she mumbled, and Elijah's mother broke away and embraced her. His father and brothers shook her hand, while his sisters embraced her.

"We'd better go," said his father, looking at his watch. They parted, and then Michael departed as well. Harry held out his arm, but Ginny shook her head. She looked at her questioningly, but she ignored him and knelt down by Elijah's plot. She sighed. She was glad that his family knew now, and that she had told someone how he'd died.

"Goodbye, Elijah," she said quietly. "I hope you're at peace now, and that there will be more Slytherins like you in the future."

She patted the dirt and stood. Harry embraced her, and she closed her eyes, breathing in his scent as he apparated them home.

**That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed it! I didn't know what branch of Christianity they were from, as it's never specified in the books, so I settled for Church of England/Anglican because that's the dominant denomination in England. The next one should be up soon as I'm now on holidays. Unfortunately, it's more funerals, so be prepared. Don't forget to review and favourite!**


	5. Ashes, Dust and Flesh

**Hey all!**

**Sorry it's been awhile but, as you know, I'm in my senior year and I've just completed some major exams. It's only a few weeks until I graduate, so I'll have more time to write!**

**Big thank you and shout out to Lenkner0407, xSoph, Sayza, letr1994, CartoonGurl201m, guests and scrappy8, iAMhisHOLLYWOODdream, PotterRuless, Colonel92, harleyquinn86 and anyone I've forgotten for reviewing and favouriting etc.!**

**Anyway, enjoy!…or cry?…**

**Chapter 5 – Ashes, Dust and Flesh**

_**Now I realize that I really didn't know  
If you didn't notice**_

Ginny was sweating, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She couldn't do it; she couldn't say goodbye to more friends. The mass was nearly over, and Andromeda Tonks had not stopped crying once since she entered with the coffins, carrying little Teddy in her arms. Teddy had remained silent throughout the mass, lying in his little cradle, as though he knew that this was his grandfather and parent's funeral and the last time that he would be in the same room as them.

Ginny's chest heaved, and renewed tears leaked out of her eyes. Harry squeezed his arm tighter around her. He too was crying, occasionally lifting up his glasses to wipe away his tears. Everyone in their family was crying. How could you not, with the loss of two amazing and brave people? With the thought of another orphaned child? Ginny thought of baby Harry, who had known the same loss as Teddy, and who didn't even get to attend his own parent's funeral, and she sobbed harder.

Before they knew it, it was time to finally bury them. The funeral had been held outside in the cemetery. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, but Ginny felt cold and numb, and resented the fact that it was such perfect weather. It was ironic, when couples getting married prayed and prayed for such weather and received rain or cloud instead. Mr. Tonks was buried first, and Ginny shed some tears for the jolly and kind man she had met at the wedding. Andromeda's sobs reached an all-time peak, and it sounded as though she was in physical pain. Poor Andromeda, who had lost her husband, daughter and son-in-law over the course of a year. Once the coffin had lowered itself into the ground and was covered with earth, it was Lupin's time.

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection for eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ," said the little wizard who performed almost all wizarding ceremonies, "we commend to the Almighty God our brother Remus; and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him_, _the Lord make His face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give himpeace. Amen."

The coffin began lowering itself into the ground, and tears obscured Ginny's vision. She flinched as Andromeda's continued sobbing loudly. Teddy remained silent. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she remembered Lupin, her friend during the dull days at Grimmauld Place. Lupin, her teacher, who had noticed that she didn't have many friends in her second year and helped her by often making them do group work. It was because of him that she had become close with Patty, Georgia and Mariella. Once it was covered, it was time to say goodbye to Tonks.

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection for eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ," said the little wizard again, "we commend to the Almighty God our sister Nymphadora; and we commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless her and keep her_, _the Lord make His face to shine upon her and be gracious unto her, the Lord lift up His countenance upon her and give herpeace. Amen."

Her coffin began lowering itself into the ground, and Ginny leaned into Harry as renewed tears leaked out of her eyes. There was a pang in her chest as she heard Andromeda's sobs begin to sound raw and guttural, and renewed tears continued pouring out of her like rain. She thought of Tonks, her friend and sister, who had livened the days at Grimmauld Place by changing her appearance and cracking jokes. Who had given Hermione and Ginny relationship, make up and wardrobe advice those nights in the summer, just like a sister. Who had wanted Ginny there while she gave birth to her first child. Who had given her life defending not only her mother and son, but Ginny as well.

Ginny was reminded of the Battle as her heart split yet again into shards, with a piece for each person she had lost and parted with. She knew whom the last shard belonged to, and she almost seemed to hold tight to it at the thought of him and what was to take place this coming Friday. But no, she would not think of that now. Now was for Remus and Tonks, and remembering (and missing) two of her greatest and dearest friends. Thinking of what the two had done for her, there was one thing that needed to be done before they went to Andromeda's.

She was going to say something to Harry, but then their eyes met, and she knew that he too needed to say goodbye. He slipped his hand into hers and together they walked to the freshly laid mounds of Remus and Tonks. Her heart constricted as they both kneeled down and touched each headstone in farewell. They stood and remained staring at them in silence for a few more seconds. They moved out of the way as the others came to say their last farewells. Ginny's heart constricted again as Charlie, who had known Tonks since school, was crying. She had never seen him cry until the battle of Hogwarts.

Harry and Ginny remained standing there as their family moved away to Apparate. They moved as though to walk away, when Ginny turned around.

"Thank you both for everything," she said, her voice hoarse, but nevertheless firm. "I promise that I'll always be there for Teddy and I'll make sure that he never forgets who you are and what you did for him, and all of us."

She turned away and pulled Harry over to the rest of her family. They began Apparating away and Ginny turned to Harry, their hands sweaty from being held for so long.

She grinned slightly at him, and said, "Come on, Potter. It's time to meet your Godson."

Her grin widened as she saw him gulp as they Apparated away.

The house was full with friends of Remus and Tonks and relatives of Ted Tonks. As predicted, there were no relatives of Andromeda's there. They spoke mainly with Kingsley, whose eyes were bloodshot red. He stayed as long as he could, but was eventually forced to return to the Ministry. The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione remained behind after everyone had left, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley eagerly tidying up the house and taking care of Andromeda. Ginny knew that it was because they knew exactly how Andromeda was feeling, and that they were afraid to leave her alone so soon.

The others congregated in the lounge while they remained in the kitchen, talking quietly. They sat in silence. They all jumped when a cry was heard through the baby monitor and some of them grinned around as they relaxed.

"Ah, yes, time for his dinner," they heard Andromeda say, and they heard her bustling about the kitchen as she prepared his milk. Ginny saw Harry and grinned, standing up.

"Andromeda," she said, sticking her head in the kitchen, "I'll go get Teddy."

"Thank you, dear," she said, absorbed in measuring the baby formula.

Ginny walked the familiar path to Tonks and Remus' room. With a pang, she realised that it was just Teddy's room now. She froze outside the door, her hand outstretched and shaking badly. Teddy cried out again, and she snapped out of her reverie. She pushed open the door, and walked over to the crib, ignoring the room that was virtually the same as it had been the last time she'd been in there. She looked in, and saw little Teddy Lupin, his face red and scrunched.

"Teddy," she cooed, and he stopped whining. She smiled at him as he looked up at her. He stared at her for a bit, and his hair changed from brown to bright red. Her heart melted.

"You're so cute," she cooed at him as she lifted him gently out of the cot. It was scary, picking up such a soft and little bundle, so she did it slowly. She cradled the warm little bundle in her arms and placed a kiss on his head. She walked slowly out of the room. She still couldn't tell whom he looked like, but he was definitely a mixture.

She walked into the lounge room, and everyone's eyes lit up at the sight of little Teddy. Even George's eyes, which had once sparkled bright with laughter and mischievousness, brightened a bit. She sat down again next to Harry, and Fleur and Hermione flocked instantly. They cooed and kissed the little bundle who had grown quiet while sucking his fingers.

"Now clear off," she said, shooing them away. "Harry needs to meet his Godson."

They grinned and backed off. She turned to Harry, and held the bundle closer to him.

"Harry Potter," she said, "meet your Godson, Edward Remus Lupin."

"Edward?" he said, looking confused. "I thought it was just Teddy."

"No," she laughed, and the others laughed too. Even George gave a small smile. "Teddy is just his nickname."

He nodded, and carefully inspected the little face, which was looking up at him. He had Remus' nose with Tonks' heart-shaped face. Other than that, his features weren't so definitive.

"So, do you want to hold him?" Ginny asked, and Harry paled a bit.

"No," he said, feeling terrified at the thought of holding such a small bundle.

"Why not? You're sitting down, so you can't drop him."

"You never know with me," he replied. "And he's too little."

She stared hard at him, unimpressed, and said, "You're holding him. Now, hold your arms as though you're cradling air."

He glared at her and she glared back. Eventually, he sighed, and did as he was told. She didn't smile, but he saw the corners of her mouth twitch. Then she stood, and Harry's heart pounded painfully against his chest. She slowly lowered the bundle until he was holding Teddy. Harry froze, and Ginny sat down. She examined his stiff posture, and laughed.

"_Relax_, Harry," she said, and she pushed him gently so that he leaned back against the couch. He looked at her, then down at Teddy, and sighed. After a few seconds, his limbs began to relax. After all, Teddy wasn't that heavy and Harry _was_ sitting down. The more he stared at the baby, the more he began to feel this warm feeling inside his chest. Teddy stared back at him, and then his hair changed from Weasley red to jet black.

Ginny laughed and said, "See, he likes you."

They heard chuckling from the doorway, and saw Andromeda standing there, Teddy's bottle in her hand, while Mrs. Weasley peeped from behind.

"Well," she said, her voice hoarse, "now that you've nailed holding him, you can feed him."

Harry was about to protest when she walked over, shoved the bottle in his hand and moved Teddy's fingers out of his mouth. He gave a little cry, and Andromeda directed the bottle into his mouth.

"Now, make sure you keep the bottle elevated," she said, directing the bottle so it was upright in his hand. "And, if he lets you, give him a break about halfway through. If you want I can burp him?"

"Yes," Harry said, relieved, and Andromeda laughed. Her eyes, which were so like Bellatrix's, lightened a bit.

"All right. We'll take it step by step, then."

She returned to kitchen. Harry watched the baby as he suckled at the bottle eagerly. Ginny leaned on his shoulder, and Harry found himself vowing the same thing to Remus and Tonks that she had; that he would always be there for Teddy and do his best to take care of him.

**I hope you enjoyed it (please let me know if you did, reviews are always appreciated)! I was going to include Fred's funeral in this, but I think they deserve separate chapters. I'll write that one now to make up for the long wait.**


	6. Time To Say Goodbye

**Hey again!**

**Here it is, as promised!**

**Chapter 6 – Time to Say Goodbye**

_**You meant everything  
Quickly I'm learning**_

Ginny awoke in a sweat and with her heart pounding painfully against her chest. The sun had just risen, so Harry was still asleep. She lay there, but her heart did not return to normal. She didn't know if it ever would. She was breathing quick, sharp breaths that left her feeling light headed. The longer she lay there the worse she felt. She felt trapped in the sheets, as though they were stuck to her, and knew that she had to get out of there.

She got out of bed, put on her slippers, grabbed her dressing gown and ran out of the room. She tried to keep her steps quiet, but she failed on the wooden floors and steps. She ran until she burst through the back door and leant against the railing. She gulped in the cool, fresh air as though it was water she had been deprived of. She pushed her hair out of her face, and began to feel a little better.

She looked up at the sky, which had turned bright blue. It was a sunny day, but the breeze was so biting that it may not have been out at all. Her legs felt soft, like jelly, and she jumped as someone wrapped their arms around her.

"Sorry, sorry," said Percy, his hair rumpled from a combination of sleep and him running his hands through it. She stared at him, unsure of how to feel. Slowly he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her. After a few seconds she melted into his embrace. They held onto each other for what seemed like ages. Then he broke away and led her silently to the swing. They sat down and she leaned her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on top of hers. They sat in silence until he broke it.

"You've matured so much," he said quietly. "When I left, you still looked so young and now, you're a young woman."

She nodded, not saying anything.

"What kind of a big brother am I? I'm supposed to be there for you guys as you grow up, and instead I was frolicking around at the ministry."

"I was so angry with you," she said before she could stop herself. "I couldn't believe that you chose them over us. And then I was mad at myself because I missed you."

"I'm glad you did," he said. "I missed you too."

She smiled, and then she laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"You were 'frolicking' around the ministry?" she sniggered.

"I-oh, shut up," he said, and she laughed again. She had missed his liking of using such 'proper' words.

All of a sudden, there was a CRACK. Ginny sat up straight, and they saw a woman emerge from the Apparating point. She had a kind-looking round face and honey brown hair that ended just past her shoulders. As she approached the veranda, she noticed Percy and smiled such a bright smile that Ginny knew that this girl was not simply a friend. Then she noticed Ginny, and she looked surprised.

"Audrey," said Percy, and there was a fleck of tenderness in his voice that Ginny rarely heard. She attempted to refrain from smiling as he stood and went to greet her. They embraced, and Ginny heard Percy say, "I'm so glad you came. I really need you here."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she told him, and she had a soft voice. "I'm so sorry."

He nodded and pulled away. Then he took her hand and led her over to Ginny.

"Ginny," he said.

"This is your girlfriend, Audrey," she finished for him, and he looked startled while Audrey chuckled.

"H-How -?"

"I'm a girl. You also shouldn't have an intimate conversation within earshot of me," she told him, and Audrey chuckled again. Ginny held out her hand to her. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," she replied, taking her hand. "I've heard so much about you all, and am glad we can finally meet, although I hate the circumstances.

"I understand."

"I've been convincing Perce non-stop to make it up with you all," said Audrey, breaking the small awkward silence.

"I'm glad someone got through to him," Ginny said, admiring Audrey's persistence and strength. Percy, like the rest of his siblings, could be as stubborn as a mule when he wanted to.

"Who's out here?" inquired a voice and her mother appeared at the door. She froze when she saw Audrey.

"Mum," said Percy, "this is Audrey. Audrey, this is my mother, Molly."

"Hi," said Audrey, and she opened the door and went inside. She held out her hand and said very solemnly, "I'm so sorry about the circumstances in which we've met, and about Fred. I wish I could have met him."

"Thank you, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, shaking her hand. She managed a small smile and said, "It's nice to meet the woman who's been looking after my Percy for me."

Ginny's hands were shaking badly as she tied the black ribbon in her hair. She stared at herself in the mirror in her black dress. She was really beginning to hate this dress. She looked as tired and worn as she felt with the dark circles under her eyes and her bloodshot eyes. Her throat constricted. She felt small arms wrap around her, and turned into Hermione's embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Gin," she whispered, and Ginny felt water on the tops of her shoulders.

Ginny nodded, her eyes watering, and said, "Thank you, and I'm sorry."

Hermione nodded and they gripped each other tighter, crying silently to the other. Eventually they pulled away and wiped their eyes. They linked arms and made their way out of the room and down the stairs together. At the bottom of the stairs they met Harry, who had been sitting on the bottom step. He stood to let them pass. Hermione let go of Ginny and hugged Harry. Then she let go and went to find Ron. Ginny took her place in Harry's arms.

"I can't do it," she told him, her face buried in his shoulder.

"Yes, you can," he said gently to her. "And if you don't, you'll never forgive yourself."

Ginny sobbed into his shoulder and he pulled her closer. After a bit, she composed herself, and they entered the kitchen together where their family was silently gathered. Instantly, Ginny went to George, who was as pale as a ghost but not as lively, and wrapped her arms around him. He raised his arm slowly and touched her arm affectionately. She kissed the side of his head and went to her parents, embracing them. She went around to all of her brothers, hugging and kissing them. When it came to Ron, she looked into his blue eyes and saw the pain that she felt there. They gripped each other hardest of all, and Ginny knew that he too was remembering their childhood spent with the twins.

She did not cry again after they left the house. Not when they arrived and not when the boys and Harry carried the coffin in. Her mother, Hermione, Fleur, Angelina, Audrey and Ginny trailed behind mournfully, and not even the sound of her mother sobbing heavily into a handkerchief brought her to tears. They had chosen the little church and adjoining graveyard in the village near their house, as it was where her uncles Gideon and Fabian were buried. In fact, Fred was to be buried a row up from them. Her heart and chest constricted at the thought.

Ginny did not hear a word, or acknowledge that she did throughout the whole mass. When it was time to approach the coffin after Communion, she did not speak, but touched the coffin tenderly and then the bright red, purple, green, orange and the like flowers that adorned it. She gave a small smile; it reminded her of the WWW fireworks. As she walked away, tears stung her eyes and a couple fell, and that was it. She felt kind of horrible; shouldn't she be bawling her eyes out like the rest of her family?

But as she looked around, she realized that she wasn't the only one not crying. George sat there, looking morose and detached, his face dry. His hair had gone limp, and in the black suit he looked thinner. Her heart and chest ached at the sight of him.

"And now to say Fred's eulogy," said the tufty-haired wizard, "is his twin brother, George."

George stood and walked to the centre, stiff and mechanical-like. He pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out. He stared at it. When Ginny thought he'd never speak, he began to speak.

"Where to begin?" he said, and his voice had lost it's confidence just as his body had. "F-Fred and I-we-we were one mind in two bodies. We'd look at each other and know instantly what the other was thinking. That was why we got along so well. It was also why we were able to pull off the many pranks that we did." He gave a small smiled and continued, "The best was the one we pulled off in our final year against Umbridge…I don't know if I'll ever be able to pull off a prank as great as that again…"

He went silent for a moment as though reflecting on those words. He heaved a great sigh, and continued on as though it was causing him great physical pain. The sight made tears begin to flow freely down Ginny's face.

"…T-The joke shop was our greatest achievement and joy. Living alone was hard, but we were t-together, so it didn't m-matter. H-He was a beautiful person – and not just in looks," he added, smiling a little, and some smiled while others gave a small laugh. "H-He was kind, caring, bright and brave, a-and I-I will try my best t-to b-be m-more l-like h-him t-than I al-already am. H-He was my best friend, and w-words can't express h-how m-much I…I-I can't…M-Mischief M-Managed…"

And with that he dissolved into tears. He fell to his knees, crying harder. They all cried harder with him. When Ginny couldn't take it anymore, she stood and went to him. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around him. When he had settled, she helped him shakily to his seat. She kissed his forehead, and walked back to her seat as her mother wrapped her arms around her equally distressed son.

Before Ginny knew or liked it, the procession had moved outside to where Fred was to be buried. She closed her eyes and leaned into Harry as she saw the pile of freshly dug earth and the pit where her brother was to now rest.

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection for eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ," said the little wizard, "we commend to the Almighty God our brother Fred; and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him_, _the Lord make His face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up His countenance upon him and give himpeace. Amen."

Ginny really hated those words. She and Harry were holding onto each other for dear life, their bodies wracking with sobs. Inhuman noises were drawn unwillingly from their chests as Fred's coffin began lowering itself into the ground. Not her brother…her best friend…her Fred who had always been there for her and had regretted not letting her play Quidditch with them as kids…

She thought she too might die and have to join him from the pain and convulsions that her body was producing. It was pain beyond measure. The feeling was so horrible and she wished that she could tear her dress, or pull out her hair, or pound the ground and scream, or do something that would alleviate and end this horrid pain! She had lost too much; she didn't want to be human anymore!

"Noo," she said softly, as the ground was covered with dirt. Her vision was so blurry that she walked blindly to place a bright red flower over his grave. It reminded her of their hair, and she kissed it before she placed it on the freshly overturned earth. Eventually, Harry and Ginny found their way back to each other. They clung to each other for dear life. They were soon parted, however, by the need for them to accept condolences from all their family and friends.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, such a great loss," and the like were said to her by family and friends as they clasped her hand. She did nothing but nod and occasionally say thank you. There was Kingsley, Patty, the Hogwarts Professors (including a hysterical Hagrid and a teary McGonagall), Andromeda and Teddy, Oliver, the D.A. members, her aunties, uncles, cousins and so many more people that she didn't recognise. Overall, there seemed to be hundreds of people who came to see Fred buried. The thought made her feel even more depressed than she thought was possible.

It all was becoming a blur, and somehow they returned home and welcomed most of the people from the ceremony into their backyard, which had been set up earlier before they left. She gratefully accepted hugs again from Patty, Neville and Luna, but she did not speak for the rest of evening. When people said goodbye or gave condolences, she nodded. It was the most silent she had ever been. She clung tight to Harry, afraid what would happen if they were separated.

She nibbled a bit on food here and then, and was glad when everyone had left. Everyone helped pack up except for George, who sat on the veranda steps staring blankly into space. He too had not spoken since he gave his eulogy. Once they had packed and cleaned up, Percy helped George up and pretty much supported him all the way to his room.

Ginny showered and scrubbed herself mercilessly as though it would reverse time and rid her of the events of the past few weeks. She threw her black dress into the pile that contained the others' funeral clothes and their battle clothes. The pile had not been washed since then. She made her way back to her room in a daze that had fallen upon her since the burial. She lay on her bed, staring up at the canopy, and waited for Harry to join her.

After a while he came, and lay on the bed with her. Simultaneously, they turned to each other and wrapped their arms around the other. They stared into the other's eyes and there was a horrid pain there. She breathed fast and heavy, she didn't know what to do with herself now. Harry leaned in and pressed a warm and soothing kiss to her cold lips. She melted into his embrace, and felt a warm, fuzzy feeling enter her head and consume her thoughts and emotions. When they broke apart she was calm and her lips were warm. They shifted positions until she was lying on his chest; arms tight around each other, listening to his heart beat a mournful tune for the brother they had lost. She closed her eyes and let it lull her into a black and painless sleep.

**God that was painful to write. I really wish she hadn't killed them all off! Anyway, what's done is done. Um, I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully it will be soon. As aforementioned, I graduate from school soon, so I should have the story finished sometime next year! Yay/No! XP Anyway, let me know what you think of the story and don't give up hope on me, even if it's been ages since my last post! I'll get there in the end! XP**


	7. Haunted

**Hey everyone!**

**Sorry it's been ages but I've been busy finishing off school and working and to top it all off, I had writers block. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 7 – Haunted**

_**To love again,  
All I know is, I'mma be ok**_

Ginny stared hard at Harry, hoping to catch his eye. Green met brown and her heart leapt, but the feeling vanished when he looked down again hastily. A cold feeling washed over her as her worst suspicions were confirmed. She felt tears welling up again in her eyes but forced them to remain unshed. She was surprised that she could still make them.

She wondered if it was her own fault that Harry was avoiding her. Since Fred's funeral, she hadn't been the same. She had this hollow feeling in her chest that would even turn to pangs of pain at times. And when she remembered why she hurt and why George seldom ever left his room, she would cry. At first, Harry had been more than willing to hold her until the tears subsided, and had even shed those of his own. But as time wore on he began to sleep on his own again and preferred to be in her presence, but not touching her. Cho Chang had turned him off with her constant crying, so naturally the same could happen with Ginny, right?

She sighed, knowing that that wasn't his only reason for the distance between them. Ginny had always hoped that Harry would have learned by now not to feel guilty for the deaths of their family and friends. But Harry was Harry, and he was clearly letting his guilt consume him. The thought of it made hot scalding anger bubble through her veins. She wanted to throw her cutlery at him and yell at him and make him look at her and talk to her. But she didn't want to make a scene in front of her family, so she made herself calm down. She sighed again, looking around at her family. Their red hair and pale complexion with dark circles under their eyes seemed to be the only similarities they shared these days.

Her mother busied herself day and night by cooking large and sumptuous meals and attending to the house as usual. But that didn't stop her from randomly bursting out into tears. Her father returned to work, and spent the rest of his time shut up in the garage with his muggle trinkets. Unlike their father, Charlie and Percy had chosen not to return to work yet. Charlie spent his days at Shell Cottage whilst Percy stayed shut up with George in his room. Ginny had often wondered what they did in there, as she never heard a sound. So once she went in and found them sitting on George's bed, staring blankly at the wall. They hadn't even looked at her when she entered. Not that it surprised her.

The only person who had surprised her was Ron. Ron, who was always good natured and joking, had turned sullen and silent. He spoke to no one except Hermione, and it cut Ginny really deep, although she tried to convince herself that it didn't. Hermione grieved in a similar fashion to Ginny, which left her as the only person capable of having a conversation with her. However, their time together was limited as Hermione spent her time consoling Ron. And that left Ginny feeling more alone than she had when they had left last summer.

Tears stung her eyes again but she ignored them. She felt an odd prickling sensation and looked up. She spotted George at the door, and she sagged. She had hoped that it had been Harry. George's eyes met hers, and he walked around the table ignoring her. She noticed Harry, Hermione and Ron look up as he past.

"Fine, don't say 'hi' then," Ginny blurted out. She didn't know why she said it, seeing as George never spoke these days. He froze and turned back around to stare incredulously at her.

"Ginny?" asked Hermione. "Who are you talking to?"

"George," she said, giving her a 'who else could it be?' look.

"B-But, nobody was there," she said, looking somewhat frightened. "I mean, we heard footsteps, but…"

Ginny whirled around in her seat as Hermione trailed off. She stared back at George, and he winked at her. She knew what she had to do. She looked at the side of his head. He had two, whole ears. Ginny sucked in a breath and turned around as though the sight of him burned her.

She felt the tears welling up again and, unable to stop them, she left the table and went outside to the orchid. She sat down, her face already wet, and let the wracking sobs escape her. Once they had stopped, Ginny pulled the tissues that she had taken to carrying around with her out of her pocket and wiped her face. Her nose and throat felt congested, and her eyes were sore and tired.

"Ginny?" said a voice softly, and she froze. "Are you all right?"

That scalding anger washed over her again and she stood up. She whirled around and faced him and spat, "How dare you? Of course I'm not all right, my brother and my best friends are dead!"

Harry looked away sheepishly, and his whole body seemed to sag. She felt a tiny bit of remorse, but she was too angry to let it consume her.

"And I know that you're not all right either," she continued. "I know that you feel guilty for all those deaths. They weren't your fault, Harry!"

"Yes, they were, Ginny," he said, looking up at her, and she saw the torture in his green eyes. Her chest constricted, and she grew angrier. She marched straight up to him and grabbed his face between her hands, forcing him to look at her.

" .Weren't," she gritted out. "Did you tell F-Fred to jump in front of you when that wall exploded?"

"No, but -"

"Did you tell T-Tonks and R-Remus to take on those Death Eaters for you?"

"No, but -"

"Exactly! They _chose_ to fight -"

"Yes, but it's still my fault!" he said, growing angry, and she forced herself not to slap him.

"How on earth is it your fault?" she managed.

"BECAUSE THEY DIED FOR ME!"

"NO THEY DIDN'T!" she yelled. "Nobody died specifically _for you_! They died for the greater good - to make the world a better place! They died so that we could live and so that our children would never have to experience and lose what we did!"

They stood there, panting and glaring at each other.

"You_ still_ don't understand," he said, shaking his head, and she gave a derisive laugh.

"_How_ don't I understand?" she said.

"I-just-I feel…worse, when I see and hear you cry and when I look at your family because if I had finished it earlier it wouldn't have happened...or even if I had never been the Chosen One -"

"Oh yes it would have! If there is one thing that life has taught me, it's that when you're meant to die, you die! They would have died regardless of whether you got there earlier or not or if Neville was the Chosen One! It was their time to go and they went and yes, it hurts, but there's nothing we can do about it except love and remember them!"

Ginny went silent for a moment, and then she felt herself succumbing to tears. She stood there, crying and hugging herself. Then she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and she buried herself in Harry's chest. He stroked her back and buried his face in her hair, murmuring, "I'm sorry," repeatedly, and she felt her hair grow wet.

When she stopped, she didn't draw away. It felt too good and natural in his arms, and his cologne was too intoxicating. They stood there in silence, wrapped up in each other. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. She stared at the tree in front of her, and a giggle escaped her.

"What?" asked Harry, his voice hoarse.

"Once, when I was little, I climbed up the tree," she explained. "We had a wedding on, and mum wanted me to wear this pink, frilly dress that I loathed. The twins found me in the tree and told mum and dad. So, while they were telling me off, Fred snuck back inside. When he came out, he had squeezed himself into the dress, and had put on a pair of mum's heels." She and Harry were both chuckling now.

"So, he came back out and said to me, 'See, Ginny? If I can wear this dress and look fabulous, so can you.'" Harry laughed out loud at that, making her smile wider.

"What happened then?" he asked.

"I laughed so hard I fell out of the tree, but luckily I didn't hurt myself. Then mum started yelling and swatting at him all the way back to the house. But when he took off the dress, he had torn it so badly that not even magic could fix it. I had to wear a different dress instead."

She paused as they both laughed again.

"I always think of that now when I wear a dress," she finished. She felt another pang in her chest, but it was somewhat dulled. She pulled away and looked at him. His eyes were bright with laugher but there was still a hint of darkness to them.

"Oh, Harry," she sighed, placing a hand on the side of his face. "Please try and understand that it's not your fault. I know it's not easy and it's going to take time, but, if you do, then we can remember them and move forward in our lives."

'"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light,"' Harry mumbled and Ginny gave a small, hopeful smile.

"Exactly! Promise me that you'll try, if not for yourself, then for me."

"I promise," he said, staring deep into her eyes, and making her heart flutter. As if to seal it, he kissed her. She smiled at the sweet feeling that spread through her veins.

"God I've missed you," he blurted out, and Ginny laughed.

"I have no idea what you were thinking," she grinned, and he chuckled.

"Me neither," he said, kissing her again. This one was more passionate, and he pulled her tight against him. She felt so elated to be in his arms again, and kissed him back with just as much fervour. Later when they broke apart, they found themselves tangled on the floor together. Emerald green eyes met chocolate brown, and they burst out laughing.

"I love you, Ginevra Molly Weasley," he said, and Ginny was happy to see that his eyes were light and full of laughter and love. There was a tinge of darkness, but nothing that couldn't be helped.

"I love you too, Harry James Potter," she said. "You know, you're officially the biggest prat I've ever met, right?"

"I thought that was Ron?"

"It's a tie," she said, and he grinned.

"Well then, I'll just have to find a way to change that."

"We've already discussed two that I'm happy with," she said, pulling him down again.

They spent the next few hours alternating between talking and snogging. She told him other tales from her childhood that made them both laugh. But he laughed the hardest at the tale of the time when the twins had decided to jump out of the closet every time someone walked by, culminating in Ginny locking them in and them pounding on the door and screaming when they couldn't get out. It was after sunset when Hermione called them to dinner.

"By the way," said Hermione as they followed her back, hands interlinked. "What happened before at the table."

"Oh, I, um…I-I thought I saw Fred," she admitted.

"Oh," was all Hermione said. She knew she didn't believe her. Ginny looked at Harry and a silent understanding passed between them. He squeezed her hand, and a small smile appeared on her face.

Ron was already at the table when they entered, and he looked up at them. He spied their joined hands and the grass stains on their clothes. His nose crinkled in disgust and he said, "I do_ not_ want to know what you two have been doing."

Ginny felt her heart lift. They grinned and sat at the table. As the family sat together at dinner, Ginny noticed that something had changed in the atmosphere. For one thing, her father was had gone into great detail about his day at work when asked.

"…yes, the whole plumbing system was ruined," he was saying. "But we did a few spells and managed to fix it up. How clever these Muggles are! All the pipes lead to their houses and the water is even linked to their electrikity -"

"Electricity," corrected Hermione quietly.

"- oh, yes, thank you, Hermione -"

"Harry, could you please pass the carrots?" said Percy quietly. Ginny stared in shock as Percy received the carrots and muttered a, "thank you". Her gaze shifted to George, but her spirits dampened slightly when he continued to stare and poke at his food. Her gaze shifted to the other members of her family and she thought that maybe, just maybe, everything might be ok one day.

**I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think, and I'm sorry if it was crappy. It was inspired by JK saying that 'Harry would always be haunted by the deaths' when she explained why Harry named his son Albus Severus. Anyway, I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but it should be soon.**


	8. The Wand Hunt

**Hello all!**

**I'm so sorry for the delay! This was supposed to be released at Christmas time, but celebrations got in the way. Then I had work, surgery, a vacation, university and writers block, so, life got in the way as usual. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 8 – The Wand Hunt**

**_Thought I couldn't live without you_**  
**_It's gonna hurt when it heals too (oh yeah)_**

Harry gave a startled jump and reached for his wand. As he felt it on the bedside table, he realised that it had just been a nightmare. He sunk back into the bed, and closed his eyes, making the images flash over his eyelids.

_It was just a dream,_ he told himself firmly. _It wasn't real._

He pressed his eyelids together tight. He rolled over, hoping to snuggle into Ginny and erase the image of Voldemort emerging out of Nagini's ever-widening mouth. He was surprised to find that her side of the bed was cold. His heart picked up pace. What if it hadn't been just a dream?

"Ginny?" said Harry groggily, his stomach fluttering nervously.

"Mmm?" she said softly, and Harry let out a breath of relief. He reached over for his glasses and sat up. She was seated on the windowsill, her eyes glassy as she stared outside. Harry searched her face for the familiar gloss of her tears, but was relieved to find none. His heart twanged as the moonlight shining in highlighted her pale skin and the light smattering of freckles across her nose that he loved. He stood up and went to stand behind her.

"Are you all right?" he asked her as he stroked her hair. As his hands slid through her silky strands, he found the tension of his nightmare draining out of him. She leaned into his touch, giving a slight nod. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"It was worse than a nightmare," she said, and Harry winced when he heard the pain in her voice. He waited for her to continue. "I-I dreamed that we were all playing Quidditch. It was us against them – F-Fred, Colin, Tonks, Remus..."

Harry nodded as she took in a sharp breath. He continued stroking her hair.

"I felt so happy and whole again, as though nothing had ever happened. And then I woke up, and – and there was pain. So much pain," she said, her voice breaking.

"I know," Harry said gruffly, as a lump formed in his throat. She was taking in short sharp breaths, and Harry placed his other hand on her shoulder.

"I don't want to cry anymore," she said in a strained yet exasperated voice.

"I know," he said again softly, the lump making it difficult for him to speak. As she composed herself, Harry couldn't help thinking that he knew that this had come from the discovery of Fred's letter. They had gone back to Muriel's to collect their belongings and whilst Ginny was cleaning out her room she had found an envelope tucked underneath the lamp. Harry, who had left her to go help Charlie with the twins' stuff, had returned to find her crying over the letter from Fred. The letter, although addressed to Ginny, contained individual messages for them all and the engagement ring that he had been meaning to give to Angelina (no one knew about this except for Harry and Ginny, and Fred had instructed them to give it to George, 'at the right time'. Not that either of them knew what that meant). Harry's gaze flickered to the now crinkled pages on Ginny's bedside table as he closed his eyes, remembering his own segment…

_Harry, I am so grateful to you for many things – saving my family members, giving us the money to start the joke shop and for being my sixth brother. I'm also proud of you for knocking the socks out of Voldie so hard that you sent him – and his socks – to hell. I wish you a lifetime of happiness with my sister, but, if you ever hurt her, I will personally come back and haunt you for all eternity…_

Harry was knocked out of his reverie by Ginny's head butting into his chin.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed as she rubbed her head.

"'S all right," he said as he rubbed his now aching chin. He noticed that her eyes were bright and alert. She went to the bed, and pulled on a pair of sneakers. "What're you -?"

"I'm going for a broomstick ride, if you want to come," she said, as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. She didn't wait for a reply and left Harry standing by the window, feeling a little confused at the turn of events. After a moment, he followed.

***  
The night air was cool and refreshing on Ginny's skin as she stalked to the broom shed. She needed to ride, to clear her mind of Fred's words. They were ringing in her head as she fumbled with the lock.

_Dear Ginny,_

_If you are reading this, it means that I didn't make it through the war…_

_I have no idea how you must be feeling, but I'm sure you are devastated. Then again, who wouldn't be over me?_

…_I love you, and you are the best little sister a brother could ask for. You are kind and brave, and I am so proud of the woman that you have become…do only what makes you happy and don't let mum pressure you into a career that you'll loathe…_

The tears were falling thick and fast now, blurring her vision. She let out a frustrated growl and wiped her eyes angrily.

…_Don't spend your whole life mourning me. Be happy and laugh instead! It saddens me that I don't get to spend the rest of my life with you all, but know that I will always be with you and watching up at you from hell – I mean, watching down on you from heaven._

Elation filled Ginny's chest as the lock popped open. She grabbed the first broomstick she could reach.

"Grab me one too," said a voice, and she whirled around to find Harry standing there, the breeze ruffling his messy hair.

"Ok," she replied, and cursed her voice for having a shaky edge to it. She saw his eyes flicker over her face, and she knew that he knew she had been crying. She quickly busied herself with looking for his Firebolt.

"Where's your broomstick?" she asked, puzzled.

"I lost it last year when I was being moved here," he said quietly.  
"The sidecar disconnected from the motorbike and I could only grab my rucksack and Hedwig."

Ginny nodded and patted his arm sympathetically.

"It's all right," he said, giving a small smile, "I'll just buy a new one."

"But it was from Sirius."

"Yeah, but I still have the mirror he gave me."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," she replied. If her memory was correct, Aberforth had the other mirror.

"Are we flying or what?"

"Oh, yeah," she replied, grabbing one of the brooms and handing it to him.

"Hey!" he said indignantly. "How come you get the Comet and I get a Shooting Star?"

"Quit complaining, you had a Firebolt!"

He laughed and said, "That doesn't matter."

He reached for it and she dodged him.

"You'll have to catch me first," she said, grinning just as mischievously as him.

And with that, she kicked off into the air. Instantly, the breeze washed away all her thoughts of the letter. As she soared through the night air she was reminded of her childhood and the nights she had spent on her brothers brooms. She soon found herself pulling in and out of dives. She found herself grinning. When she reached the orchid where they usually played Quidditch, she looped and came to a stop.

She had never felt this alive. Her veins were pulsing with adrenaline. She felt content and free as goosebumps of pleasure erupted over her skin. She closed her eyes and breathed in the night air, savouring the freshness and hint of wild flowers in the air. Her eyes snapped open as she heard something cut through the air. She watched as Harry came out of a dive and flew towards her. A wide smile broke across her face as she saw that he was grinning.

"It's been _way_ too long," he said and she nodded.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"Yes, but I believe we agreed that if I caught you, I could have it back?"

"Yeah, but you didn't – argh!" she said as she hastily moved to the side as Harry moved towards her. She grinned at his look of frustration and zoomed off. She turned back and laughed aloud as Harry struggled to keep up with her. She dived, then pulled up, and looked behind her, feeling giddy.

Her feeling of triumph was increased when she couldn't see him, in front or behind her. She took off, going slower so she could keep an eye out for him. All of a sudden, something pulled up in front of her and she almost fell off her broom.

"Aha! You can't get rid of me that easy!" he said, and her heart plummeted when she saw that he was right in front of her, a grin plastered across his face.

"H-How did you -?"

"I'm a seeker," he said, as though that explained everything. Utilising her moment of surprise, he inclined the broom towards her and knocked ever so lightly into her. He grabbed her arm as she tottered uneasily on his broom and apologised. "I believe I get the Comet now!"

Ginny begrudgingly flew to the floor beside Harry, who was oozing triumph.

"Fine," she snapped playfully, throwing the broomstick at him, "Take it back!"

She felt a twinge of resentment as he caught it with the agility of a seeker. His grin only widened as he handed her the Shooting Star. She fought to keep her face still as he looked at her.

"I know you want to smile," he said, his grin turning evil. "Come on, smile -"

She smiled against her will, and flew off as far as the broomstick would take her. This time Harry was hot on her tail. She slowed to a stop and Harry pulled up next to her. They were both grinning and panting, and when they looked at each other, they broke out in laughter.

"I love you," he said, a little bit breathless. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that his green eyes were bright with adrenaline and love.

"I love you too," she said and his grin developed a cocky edge to it. They caught their breath, and Ginny noticed that her hair and her black and purple Weird Sisters pyjamas were sticky with sweat. They remained sitting there in silence, watching the serene night play out in front of them. It was only when their sweat turned cold and they began to shiver that they left the sky and returned to the broom shed. They walked back through the silent house, tiredness slowly taking hold of them. When they reached Ginny's room, they both collapsed on the bed and were asleep in seconds.

***  
Harry grinned at Ginny as their eyes met across the breakfast table. Sleep had not dimmed the brightness from their eyes, although they were both still exhausted from having to rise early with the others so as not to rouse suspicion towards their new sleeping arrangements. However, their cheery mood was soon marred by the solemnness of their family around them.

Ginny couldn't believe it. None of them spoke or let alone _looked_ at each other. It was as though Fred's letter had never existed! Ginny began to breathe heavily and her hands shook as she spread marmalade on her toast. She attempted to calm herself, but the silence seemed to be pressing in on her.

Ears ringing, she slammed her knife on the table and burst out, "What is wrong with you all?"

The reaction was instantaneous. Hermione and Harry froze mid-spread. Ron and Charlie froze mid-bite, while Percy slopped tea down his front. George gave her a fleeting glance before looking away.

"Ginevra, really!" said her mother. The use of her full name struck a nerve and propelled her forward.

"No! I won't sit idly by while you lot act like F-Fred's letter never existed!"

She felt a stab of satisfaction as she saw them all stir guiltily.

"He's right!" she continued, emboldened. "We should all be together _properly_ – talking, joking, heck, even just _looking_ at each other!"

She paused, catching her breath. Just as she was about to say that it wasn't healthy, another voice spoke up.

"Ginny's right," said George hoarsely. Ginny was speechless. "Fred would be so angry at us for carrying on for this long."

"Exactly," agreed Ginny. Then she added with a small smile, "And he probably would have pranked us all."

"Yeah," agreed George, a small smile ghosting his lips. Feeling triumphant, Ginny returned to her breakfast.

"Hey, Harry, could you pass me the jam, please?" asked Percy. Harry nodded, still staring at Ginny and moved his arm to get it. He felt his elbow sink into something soft and a little slimy. He looked down, and felt his face heat up. He had stuck his elbow in the butter dish. Ginny grinned at him, and he grinned sheepishly back.

George, who had been watching this, said, "Stop it, Harry, you're turning her on."

They stared in shock at him, Harry's face turning redder. Then Ginny smacked him playfully on the arm, and George gave a small laugh.

A little while later, George said quietly, "You know what would have been a good prank?"

"What?"

"If someone snuck into everyone's rooms while they were sleeping and switched their wands with fake ones."

"That would be pretty good," Ginny admitted. _And very well thought out_, she added silently. Ginny stared at George critically and he shifted his eyes away. Just then there was a loud SQUAWK!

"George!" reprimanded mum, turning around. In her hand was a WWW rubber chicken. George was grinning mischievously.

"You know, considering we've just been in a war, you guys sleep _way_ too heavily," he said. Everyone stared in complete and utter shock at him.

"You didn't really take all of our wands?" said Hermione, looking concerned.

"I did," he said, puffing out his chest in a manner similar to Percy. "And I'm not telling any of you where I hid them, you'll have to find them for yourselves."

"You're joking," said Ron, and Ginny was startled to hear his voice. It made her chest ache to think that it had been weeks since she'd heard it.

"Nope."

Percy stood up, looking dubious, and went to his room. He returned a few moments later looked dumbfounded.

"Where's my wand?" he asked, and George grinned evilly.

"I told you, you'll have to find it yourselves."

"B-But this is preposterous!"

"Well, preposterous Percy, _deal with it_."

Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione snorted into their breakfast. Bouncing in her seat, Ginny took her last bite and hopped up.

"Can we at least have a hint?" asked Hermione.

George looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Somewhere you won't expect."

"Well that was very helpful," snapped Hermione as she finished and stood up.

"Any ideas?" asked Ron.

"What about the Laundry?" said Ginny. Still uncertain about what was happening, they agreed and made their way to the Laundry. They searched the washing machine. It was empty. They then began to rifle through all the clothes, cupboards and baskets, still finding nothing.

"What on earth – how are we supposed to find them?" said Hermione, and Ginny laughed.

"That's the whole point. Now let's try somewhere else."

They split into two teams – Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione. They occasionally ran into Percy and Charlie, who had formed an unlikely team. Every cupboard, bed, drawer, nook and cranny was searched. At first, they were completely exasperated and kept cursing George. As time wore on, it was mixed with a feeling that started in their chests, and caused them to break out in unexpected (and at times frustrated) laughter.

Molly, Arthur and George did not partake. They sat at the table, drinking tea, and watched their children bolting around the house and yelling at each other. Just then Ginny came into view, but she paid them no attention.

"Come on! _Come on! _It has to be outside!" said Ginny, jumping up and down.

"All right! All right!" Harry laughed, as he entered. Ginny seized his hand, and they bolted through the kitchen and out the backdoor.

"They all seem to be having fun," observed Arthur over the top of the _Daily Prophet_.

"I thought they would," said George, staring out the window.

"Yes, but, George, dear, I really would like my wand back now," said Molly.

George turned to her and grinned, "Not until the others find it."

"George, please!"

"Come on, it's nighttime!" begged his siblings.

"If you don't give me back my wand, you'll never eat again," said his mother, pointing her finger threateningly at him.

"All right, all right," said George hastily, feeling just as unsettled by her finger as he would her wand. He led them outside and towards the orchard. On they marched, eager to find the spot that had evaded them all. Finally, he stopped on the edge, where the big oak trees were. He bent down, reached into a nook and pulled out their wands.

"Are you kidding me!" burst out Ginny. "We searched every tree hole."

"Yeah," said Harry. "And a garden gnome bit me!" He held up his finger which was bandaged. Ginny started laughing uncontrollably, and Harry shot her a sour look.

"What?" asked Ron, a big grin on his face.

"Harry, he -" she wheezed out, unable to stop laughing.

"Shut up!" he told her, feeling his cheeks heat up.

She only laughed harder. Unable to talk, she mimed swinging it round and round, and everyone burst out laughing. When she finally managed to calm herself, her stomach was hurting. She grinned at Harry, who was quite red and looked torn between laughing and telling her off.

"How on earth did you come up with this?" asked Ron, as he wiped away tears of laughter.

"Fred and I talked about doing it at Muriel's, but we never got round to it," George replied, his face darkening a little.

"Muriel's reaction would have been hilarious," said Ron and Ginny at the same time, and George nodded in agreement.

"All right, you lot," said their mother. "That's enough excitement for tonight. How about some dinner?"

Cheering, and starving, they made their way back to the house.

**This ended up being longer than I thought. I hope you liked it. Please don't give up on my stories, it may take a while, but I do update them! No matter what it looks like, I will finish this story.**


	9. Poison

**Hey all! Sorry for the late post but, as you know, I had exams. Massive thank you to slindeman, CharmHazel, WeasleyCousin, Queenb16, HG4EVER69, byobangel9072, Laboulett, Ad23, Penguino18 and anyone I've forgotten for favouriting/following and giving me confidence boosters! **

**Chapter 9 – Poison**

_**It'll all get better in time  
Even though I really love you**_

Ginny stirred, the light irritating her eyes. She opened them to find sunlight streaming in from her window. She yawned and stretched out, noticing that the bed was empty except for her. The scent of pancakes wafted in and, assuming that Harry had already gone down to breakfast, she began to dress.

She dressed in a black long sleeve top, only to change it when she realised that it was making her sweat. She smiled bitterly to herself, looking out the window at the bright blue sky. Summer was finally here, but not everyone she loved was here to share the warmth and fun that came with it with her.

She changed into a short sleeve white top and shorts. She wiped the sweat off her cupid's bow, noticing that as she did so, her whole arm trembled as though she had been carrying a great weight. Her eyebrows knitted together as she stared at her arm…it had been months since the last tremor…

She was distracted by the red marks that criss-crossed her skin. She drew in a breath as she looked at them. She had completely forgotten about the whip marks. She had been too preoccupied with winter and worrying about the war to keep an eye on them.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she noticed that they still had the beetroot red crust of scabs on them. It had been a few months since her last whipping. Shouldn't they have been fully healed by now? Were the ones on her back the same?

She quickly turned her back towards her mirror. She was in the middle of pulling off her top when the door opened. Harry, hair messy and still in his pyjamas, froze at the sight of her bare stomach.

"Sorry, sorry!" he said hastily, as he covered his eyes.

"It's all right," said Ginny, feeling slightly bemused as she pulled her top down. She would have to check her back later. "You can look now."

He lowered his hands and stared at her. He opened his mouth to say something, when he froze. He frowned and marched towards her.

"Harry, what's -?" she began, but he ignored her. He grabbed her arm and a jolt of horror went through her as he pulled it close to his eyes. He stared at it for a bit, not breathing, then released her arm.

He had gone very, very pale. He was breathing heavily, as though he had just run a marathon.

"Harry?" she said in a small voice.

"_What are they?"_ he hissed. His eyes flicked to hers, and they were the stormy green that she had grown used to seeing in his fifth year. _"Who did this to you?"_

"Harry -"

"What are they and who did this to you?" he repeated, his voice shaking with suppressed rage as he gripped her arm tightly. She felt tears sting her eyes but she pushed them back.

She opened her mouth then closed it. Resigning, she finally said, "The Carrows whipped me for my detentions. First my back, then my arms. They-they tortured me as well after they were finished."

Tears stung her eyes again as she saw his face. Disgust and anger were etched into every line. Harry felt sick, as though he was going to vomit, and his head was spinning. How could they do this to his Ginny? The sickness was gone as quick as it came and replaced with hot, boiling anger. He released her arm and began pacing. Ginny watched him, giving him time to gather his thoughts.

Finally, he stopped. He looked at her and said in a voice quiet with rage, "I'll kill them. I'll kill them for what they did to you. Ginny, how could you not tell me? I've told you everything about what happened to me last year, yet you've told me nothing about your year at Hogwarts!"

A jolt of anger blazed inside her and she said, "I didn't tell you anything because I knew that this was how you'd react! I wanted to wait until the pain had passed and I knew that you were ready to take it!"

"Ready to take it! How on earth could I ever be ready to take something like this?"

"I wanted to -" she began.

"Never mind," he cut her off brusquely. "I think a better question would be why on earth you kept pushing the Carrows if you knew this was the punishment for it?"

"You're such a hypocrite!" she said, feeling the anger pulse through her. Although, she couldn't tell if she was shaking from anger, or something else. "As if _you_ would have just stood by and taken their crap about Muggleborns and watched innocent people get tortured if you were at Hogwarts last year!"

He pursed his lips, still looking furious. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"I did what I had to do," she said. "AND," she added loudly when he began to protest, "if you want to hear everything that happened last year, then I would like you to sit down, shut up, and hear me out."

He nodded, breathing heavily and threw himself on the bed. She made her way over and sat down next to him. As she looked into his stormy eyes, she felt butterflies erupt in her stomach and her heartbeat quickened. She swallowed, took a deep breath, and was about to begin when he spoke.

"Can you start from what happened after the wedding?" he asked.

She hesitated, then nodded. There were worse things that she had to tell him than being tortured by Death Eaters. She told him about the Death Eaters' search of the house and questioning and how they had tortured her.

He went white and said, "Th-they knew about us?"

"Yeah."

"B-But how? I broke up with you!"

"Yeah, but plenty children of Death Eaters were at school that year, Harry. I'm sure Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't have minded spilling the beans."

He nodded, but remained silent. Capitalising on this, she skimmed through the rest of her holidays, the new regimes and protection around the Burrow. Then she began telling him everything that had happened at Hogwarts.

She told him about the Death Eaters on the platform, the Death Eaters searching for him on the train, the dementors around the school and the new dinner rules. She told him about the Carrows classes, and the bullshit that they had been spreading about Muggleborns and how good the Dark Arts were. She told him about rebooting the D.A. (a small smile had graced his lips), and their first act of rebellion of graffiti on the walls.

"Are we up to you stealing the Sword yet?" he asked her, another smile playing on his lips. Relief swept through her at his calmness.

She grinned and nodded. Her voice starting to feel a bit hoarse, she continued on, "Then I began having dreams of Ron, Hermione, and finally, you. In them, you were all telling me that I had to steal the Sword of Gryffindor. I remembered that Dumbledore had left it to you in his will. So I did some research and realised that you must need it for the Horcruxes, even though I didn't fully understand why. Then I told Neville and Luna, and they agreed to help me. So we got the password, broke into Snape's office -"

"Stole the Sword of Gryffindor, got caught and served detention with Hagrid," Harry supplied for her.

Feeling slightly stunned and confused, she said, "Yeah. How do you know we had detention with Hagrid though?"

"After we overheard Dean, Mr. Tonks and the others talking about you stealing the sword, we checked with Phineas Nigellus that you three were all right and he told us."

"Oh, ok."

"Yeah. So what changed with the punishments?"

She told him about how angry the Carrows were that they couldn't punish the students, so they got permission from Voldemort to override Snape's judgement of punishments. She noticed the change in his face, but she continued on. She told him of how you could now be tortured in class for disobedience, and how she was one of their favourite victims. She told him about the night Luna, Neville and her got caught painting the walls.

"…so then they whipped us all, while Crabbe and Goyle held whoever was watching back. Then they tortured me after for good measure," she gave a humourless laugh and said, "I had thought that being whipped was painful, but the Cruciatus curse after made me feel as though I was on fire and the wounds were being ripped open."

He had gone deathly white again, and she fell silent. He ran his hands through his hair, looking restless and stood up.

"Harry, please," she begged him, starting to feel a bit impatient. "I know you're angry, but if you do this every time then I won't be able to get through it."

He glanced at her, then nodded solemnly and sat down. She took a deep breath, and picked up where she left off. She told him how Padma gave her a salve to sooth the cuts, about the D.A. lessons and listening to Potterwatch. Then she told him about their second whipping, how they had attempted to stop the Death Eaters from taking Luna, and her depressing Christmas. She debated telling him about Christmas Eve, and how she had experienced his snake bite and being strangled by the locket and the vision of his parents' death, but decided against it. She didn't know what it meant, and there were still so many other things to tell him about last year.

Realising what was next, butterflies erupted in her stomach again. She took a deep breath, and told him about her starting the book burning pile in the Great Hall, and how they had punished her with the Imperious curse. He stood up and, for a second, she thought that he was going to vomit. Then he grabbed her pillow and flung it across the room. He reached back to fling another one, but she grabbed his arm and turned him towards her.

"I-just-How. Could. They," he gritted out. His hands were opening and closing, and he looked like he was in physical pain. She felt such tenderness for him that she wanted to pull him close and snog him. So she did just that. After a few moments, he responded and pulled her close. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"They're just assholes," she told him, and he gave a small smile.

"How are you so ok with it all?"

"They're not worth a second thought," she admitted, even though the thought of what happened made her blood boil. "Thinking about them being locked in Azkaban helps loads as well."

He laughed, and she pulled away and guided him back to the bed.

"There's not much after that," she said. "I wasn't going back to Hogwarts, then you lot got seen and I definitely wasn't going back. As you know, we quickly relocated to Muriel's, where I had the best time of my life."

"I can't imagine otherwise," grinned Harry, and she laughed.

"Yeah, that's pretty much all that happened before the battle," she said lamely. "Oh, wait, I got in trouble for trying to sneak out to see you lot at Shell Cottage."

Harry laughed and she added, "Yeah, I got grounded and had to stay in my room. Until Remus came. Tonks wanted me in the delivery room, so I got to see Teddy's birth."

Harry nodded impressively and said, "What's it like?"

"Horrifyingly beautiful," she said and he laughed, "and there's lots of blood."

When he finished, he sat quietly. Then he said, "I'm his godfather. We should probably go see him."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed. "We'll have some breakfast and owl Andromeda."

Harry agreed and they went down to breakfast. Hermione and Ron were still at the table, the _Daily Prophet_ unfolded in front of them. Ginny noticed that Hermione looked livid and Ron slightly green.

"What's happened?" she asked, her stomach jolting uncomfortably. Had the Death Eaters that had evaded capture done something horrible?

"All of the Muggleborns that were released from Azkaban have been moved to St. Mungo's," said Hermione, her voice tight. "Most of them have irreversible spell damage from excessive torture. Some have died from poisoning from the torture utensils. And there's so much more, but the Prophet's not saying all the details…"

Ginny looked down at the plate of food that her mother placed down in front of her, and had to refrain from vomiting. Her head was spinning, so she grabbed a glass of water. She looked over at Harry, and he was staring stonily out the window.

"Can I see it?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded and handed the paper over. Ginny skimmed through the column, and she felt as though she had been punched in the gut. But she had to know if her friends had survived. She saw a list of names and her heart skipped a beat. She scanned the list and found them. With a jolt of horror, she saw that only Georgia, Mariella and their sister had survived. She wondered if Patty knew. She resolved that she would owl her after breakfast. Maybe they could go visit them together.

"Ginny, what's on your arms?" asked Hermione as she stood up.

"Um, don't -" she began.

"Whip marks," supplied Harry, and Ginny shot him a glare.

"Whip – what?" said Hermione in a shrill voice. She had gone pale, while Ron looked greener.

"That was one of the ways the Carrows served out detention," Ginny said. Hermione nodded, and continued looking at them.

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Um, I'm not sure," she admitted. "Definitely before the Easter holidays."

Hermione's eyebrows knitted together and she said, "And they're only just scabbing over now?"

Ginny nodded and Hermione pursed her lips. "Ginny, that's not normal. I think you should get them checked out at St. Mungo's."

Ginny nodded, and didn't say anything for a large lump had just formed in her throat. She busied herself with the rest of her breakfast, even though she wasn't hungry, and Ron and Hermione left.

Harry and Ginny continued breakfast in silence. Once finished, Ginny was about to owl Andromeda when she heard someone arrive by Floo. Harry looked at her, looking as puzzled as she felt. She nodded and they went to investigate. As soon as she stepped into the lounge room, someone lunged at her. She whipped out her wand and began fighting them off.

"It's me, it's me!" said a very familiar voice.

Looking closer, she saw that it was Patty, her black locks all messy. She was definitely thinner than Ginny remembered her, and she had a pinched, sick look to her face. She also had dark circles under her eyes, which were uncharacteristically bloodshot.

"Patty!" she said and she hugged her friend tight. It felt so good to know that one of her friends was all right and with her at this moment.

Patty pulled away and said, "Georgia and Mariella are at St. Mungo's."

"I know, I read the paper this morning."

"If you want to come with me, I'm going now to see them," she said, a determined look on her face. Ginny hesitated, not sure if they would be allowed to see them this soon, but she nodded nonetheless. They had to try. She turned back to Harry.

"It's all right, I'll stay here," he said and she nodded. She tried to communicate how grateful she was that he understood through her eyes.

"I'll go tell my parents," said Ginny and she ran off to find one of them. She found her mother first, and after getting her permission, she and Patty flooed to St. Mungo's. It was quieter than usual, and they joined the line at the front desk.

After a while they made it to the blonde witch who said, quite unenthusiastically, "Hello, how can I help you today?"

"Hi, we're just wondering, are we allowed to see the Muggleborn patients in spell damage?" asked Patty.

"Family only at the moment," replied the witch, looking back down at the papers in front of her.

"We've got relatives in there," Ginny supplied hopefully. "Obviously not the same relatives…"

The witch shot them a glance, then said, "Fourth floor, then."

"Thank you," they called as they sped off. Ginny remembered the way, having wondered there that Christmas her father had been in here. The ward was much more crowded then it had been back then. People were being helped around by healers. From their slow shuffling and white streaked hair she thought that they were older, but looking at their faces, she saw that some looked as young as her.

She shuddered, feeling uneasy and looked around. Some bore no scars, others had their faces mutilated to badly she felt queasy. She also noticed that some were shaking so badly it looked as though they were having seizures. She felt lightheaded and queasy, and she desperately wanted to run from the ward and never look back. She forced herself to remain beside Patty, who seemed more preoccupied by searching for their friends than what she saw around her.

"Can I help you?" said a young male healer as he walked past.

"Yes, we're looking for Georgia and Mariella Longano," said Patty quickly.

"Are you family?"

"No," said Patty. "But, they're my best friends and I've known them since I was a little girl and if I don't see them now, I-I'll -"

She broke off, her cheeks flushed. The healer looked at her sympathetically, nodded and said, "I'll take you to them, but I can't guarantee it'll be a long or worthwhile visit."

His choice of 'worthwhile' struck Ginny as odd, but she was too eager to see them to care. He led them past other patients, and Ginny found herself focusing on the back of his robes rather than them.

Ginny's heart leapt as she spotted them, sitting on their beds at the end of the corridor. Patty had quickened her pace and reached them before Ginny.

"Georgia! Mariella!" she said ecstatically. Ginny watched as the girls flinched and whipped around, momentarily terrified. Their little sister cuddled into Georgia's side. They were practically anorexic, and they had a white salve on their faces. They stared at Patty, their faces blank. The smile faltered from Patty's face. "Don't you know who I am?"

They were silent, and Ginny was about to speak when Mariella said quietly, "Patty."

Patty lit up again and Ginny sighed in relief. Georgia turned to her and said just as quietly as her sister, "And Ginny. How nice to see you both."

They smiled then turned back to the wall, their faces going blank.

"Georgia, Mariella?" said Patty, but the healer approached her and took her gently by the arm.

"Come," he said, and Patty let him lead them away from the girls. He took them to a corner and turned to them, his expression grim. "It's very hard for them to sustain a conversation, let alone a span of attention at the moment. From what we know, they endured intense torture and beating for attempting to escape. This was after they watched their parents and brother be murdered. We also know that, towards the end of their stay, they were…abused…and that the state they keep reverting to now was the happy place they would go to in these times."

Patty was staring at Mariella and Georgia as though she had never seen them before. Ginny's legs were shaking so badly that she lowered herself to the ground.

"Are you all right?" said the healer, grabbing her arm.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said quietly. He nodded, and helped her up when she was ready. "Will they be all right?"

"After intense therapy we hope they will be," he said. "Although, we're not sure how long that will take. They keep to themselves and don't socialise, so I doubt they'll be able to return to Hogwarts for their final year. Eventually, though, they will be able to socialise again."

Ginny nodded and watched them. She watched as a middle aged woman who looked remarkably like their mother approached them with food, and handed it out to them while chatting amiably.

"Who's that?" she asked the healer.

"Oh, their aunty," he said, sounding distracted. Ginny looked over to find him examining her arm. "Are these whip marks?"

"Yes," she said. "I was actually going to see someone about them. I've had them for months but they've only started scabbing over now…"

"Really?" he said, looking surprised and concerned.

"Y-yeah," said Ginny, her voice faltering.

"I'll take you to Healer Smethwyck for an examination," he said. She stammered out a thanks and turned to inform Patty. She was shocked to find Patty facing them and examining her own arms.

"Mine are the same, so I'll come too," she said. Ginny nodded, and noticed that Patty's eyes looked hollow and distant. They followed the healer silently as he led them through the ward and around the hospital. After what felt like ages, they arrived at an office. He knocked, and they entered.

"Healer Smethwyck," said the healer, "I've brought these girls here to be examined for bewitched whip marks."

Ginny and Patty glanced at each other in alarm, before turning back to Healer Smethwyck. He nodded grimly and stood up.

"Thank you, Healer Bronn," he said and the other man nodded and turned to leave. Ginny called out a thank you to which he smiled. Healer Smethwyck introduced himself, shook their hands and they introduced themselves. Instantly, he grabbed Ginny's arm and began examining it. He led her over to a bed, where she sat, her head reaching above his. He pulled out his wand and began waving it over her arms, a puff of smoke or an odd colour appearing here and there. After a while he nodded and examined Patty, who responded the same way as Ginny.

He sat down behind his desk, looking very tired, as the girls sat in front of him. He sighed and said, "Miss Weasley and Miss Yong, I'm sorry to inform you that you've been infected with a fatal poison."

Ginny felt as though the world was caving in around her.

"Wh-what?" Patty spluttered. "H-How?"

"We're not sure what it's called, but it seems to have been a popular torture method amongst the Death Eaters this year. They would simply lace the weapon with this poison and it would infect the bloodstream. From examination of the other bodies, we've discovered that it spreads slowly, is fatal and untraceable in small amounts."

"Can you heal us?" Ginny asked, her voice hoarse.

He hesitated before saying, "We've created a salve and administered it to other infected patients. However, the treatment period hasn't been reached yet, so we're not entirely sure if it is one hundred percent effective, although we have created it to be."

Ginny and Patty nodded, unable to speak. After everything Ginny had been through, the torture, narrowly surviving the Carrows and the war, there was a chance that she might not make it after all. The thought went through her like an icy knife and she shuddered.

"Oh, I also detected that you have mild Muscle Shock Disorder, but that should heal over time," said the healer. "You may experience some discomfort in your older age, but that is all."

_Over time. Older age._ Would they get time? Would they live to an old age? Were Neville and the others infected as well? Ginny didn't know how to feel anymore. She felt tired and empty, as though she had lived alone for hundreds of years. She wanted to curl up in her bed next to Harry and shut everything out with the blackness of sleep.

"If you girls wouldn't mind waiting, we can concoct some up now and apply it?" said the Healer hopefully. They nodded. Ginny didn't see what else they could do. He smiled and left. They sat in silence, Patty resting her head on Ginny's shoulder, and Ginny resting her head on top of hers. It reminded her of the late nights they had spent up with their fellow Gryffindor girls, joking and gossiping. Even though Ginny hadn't always hung out with them or felt truly connected to them, they had always welcomed her with open arms.

After what felt like a lifetime of waiting, the healer returned with a box full of strips while a cauldron levitated behind him. He placed them both down on his desk, put on gloves and clapped his hands together.

"All right," he said, "I'll apply this salve to the strips and apply them to your skin. You are to keep them on for 3 weeks, and they're water resistant so you don't have to worry about them falling off. After the 3 weeks, remove them and come see me and I will examine you to make sure you are cured."

They nodded and he said, "So, who wants to go first?"

Ginny did, and she noticed that it was the same white salve that had been on Mariella and Georgia's faces. Her stomach jolted and she forced herself to think of Harry and the time they had spent together the first time they had dated. As she watched Patty get applied with the strips, she wondered how Harry would take the news, and she felt butterflies stir in her stomach.

Once finished, they thanked Healer Smethwyck, organised appointments for 3 weeks time and left. They walked in silence to the ground floor. They looked at each other.

"I'll see you later," said Ginny.

"Yeah, see you," said Patty. They hugged, and lined up to Floo back to their respective houses. As the green spinning flames faded away to her living room, Ginny felt a sense of relief at being home and away from the white walls and sterilised smell of the hospital. She saw her mother and Harry waiting silently in the lounge room, and her stomach felt as though it was filled with led. They looked up at her relieved as she shook off the soot, and stood to greet her.

"Why were you gone so long?" they asked at the same time.

"Oh, Patty and I had to wait for the salve for our whip marks to be made," she said. She opened her mouth to tell her mother the rest, but looking at her relieved face, she couldn't do it. She decided to wait to dinner, that way she wouldn't have to repeat the story a million times. Heck, she didn't know if she could even tell it _one_ time.

Her mother bustled off but Ginny didn't hear what she said. Harry stood beside her, stroking her arm.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

She swallowed and said, "Yeah. I have to tell you something."

He nodded and she led the way outside to their spot in the orchard. She sat down facing him and he followed suite. She told him about Mariella and Georgia first, to which he looked grim. Then, after much hesitation, she told him about what happened during their meeting with Healer Smethwyck. He stared at her blankly when she had finished, and she could feel her heart breaking into pieces.

"H-Harry?" she said when he didn't respond.

"You're not going to die," he said firmly. "You won't die. They've healed worse than you – they healed your dad – so, you'll be fine."

Ginny nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't feel like contradicting him at the moment. Then he reached over and pulled her so that she was sitting in his lap. She curled up against his chest, letting the tears roll down her face, until they were called to dinner.

The reaction of her family was virtually the same as Harry's, but she wasn't sure if it made her feel better or worse about her situation. They acted positive for her benefit, but she could feel the concern in their drawn looks and see it in their eyes. She couldn't help feeling a tad guilty at the fact that she might cause them more pain than they were already feeling. They didn't deserve that, and, in a way, Ginny had brought this fate on herself. That thought made her feel like she had been punched in the gut.

As the days drew on, she attempted to carry on life as usual. Harry seemed to be doing everything to distract her. They'd spend all day outside, talking and laughing. Sometimes they'd play Quidditch. Harry would even go inside and bring out their food so that she didn't miss a drop of sunshine. As much as Ginny loved the sun, she couldn't help feeling sad and as though she was enjoying her last days on earth.

They also visited Andromeda and a fast growing Teddy. She almost didn't recognise the smiling baby as she held him. He was a lot rounder and looked more like Remus than she remembered. She watched as Harry held him like he was glass, and her heart felt as though it would burst with emotion. She could imagine him holding their own babies like that, but she didn't know for certain if they would ever get that chance now. She held Teddy close as he slept in her arms, worried that it may be the last chance she got to.

Even though she highly doubted that she couldn't be cured, there was still that what if. After all, she had always thought that she would grow old with all of her siblings, but Fred had been taken away from them all.

She couldn't stop the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach as the 3 weeks drew to a close. The night before her appointment she found herself weaving in and out of bad dreams. She opened her stinging eyes to sunlight, only to find that it was 7 o'clock. She groaned and rolled over. Harry was on his side, sleeping peacefully. She ran her hand through his hair, then curled up against him, feeling his breath stir her hair.

It was hours before Harry stirred and the scent of bacon wafted up to her room. After they had dressed and had breakfast, she led Harry back to her room.

"What's up?" he said, noticing that she was twisting her hands together in nerves.

"Um, well," she began, "I know I should probably ask mum or Hermione, but I want you to take my strips off, please?"

He stared at her, going slightly red.

"Um, are you sure?" he asked her. She nodded, and he hesitated before agreeing. She sat down on the bed, with Harry next to her, and they began peeling the strips off her arms. Once finished, they stared miraculously at her skin. The scabs had been reduced to faint red lines. Her heart raced. Was this proof that the poison had been eliminated. She looked at the strips, and noticed that they were stained with the pale yellow of pus and tinged with green.

"Ew," she said, showing Harry. He crinkled his nose in disgust, and she found it so cute that she leaned over and kissed his cheek. He rolled his eyes and she manoeuvred herself so that her back was facing him.

Arms shaking, she pulled off her top and dropped it onto the bed next to her. The bed moved as Harry shifted uncomfortably, and she shoved her knuckles into her mouth to stop herself from giggling. All the gloom and dread from the past few weeks seemed to have been replaced with a giddiness that spread throughout her whole body and made her feel happy and light as a feather.

Harry began peeling off the strips. He was being as gentle with her as he had been with Teddy. While one hand peeled, the other rested against her back, stroking her. She felt relaxed and soothed. The touch of his hands against her back sent shivers down her spine that she repressed, and made her feel a familiar feeling from her core.

She breathed deeply as he continued. When he was done, she pulled her shirt back on. She got on her knees and turned to face him. Smiling, she crawled onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead against his.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Don't mention it," he said, sounding slightly out of breath. "Seriously, though, your brothers would kill me if they ever found out."

She laughed. Then she kissed him. It started out slow and sweet. It grew more passionate as Harry pulled them down so that she was laying on top of him. Harry pushed her mouth open with his tongue and pushed her onto her back so that he was on top now. She could feel an intense heat spreading throughout her body and she wanted to be even closer to him than she already was.

As she wrapped herself tighter around his body there was a knock on the door. They sprang apart as though electrocuted and stared at the door.

"Yes?" Ginny called out, her voice hoarse. She looked at Harry and stopped herself from laughing; his hair was more noticeably sticking out at all angles.

"Ginny, dear," said her mother, "you're going to be late for your appointment with Healer Smethwyck."

"Oh yeah!" said Ginny as she glanced at the time. "Thanks, mum!"

She sprang up and grabbed a change of clothes. Harry covered his eyes as she dressed.

"Are you coming with me?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he agreed. He straightened his shirt and attempted to fix his hair as much as possible. When they looked presentable and not flustered, they rushed downstairs and flooed to the hospital. They sat in the waiting room until they were called from one of the witches at the front desk.

Healer Smethwyck was there, and so was Patty. She hugged Ginny and smiled at Harry. Ginny couldn't help noticing that the smile didn't reach her eyes, and that she avoided looking at Harry while Healer Smethwyck informed them that she had made a full recovery.

"Yeah, it's great. Anyway, I've got to go now," she said, hurrying off to line up at the fireplaces. Healer Smethwyck led them to his office, blubbering about how Ginny would have made a full recovery as well. Ginny felt happy and relieved that Patty was ok, and hoped the same could be said for herself.

Once there, he examined her arms. Then he performed the same wand movements that he had 3 weeks ago, but this time his wand emitted different puffs of smoke and colours. He nodded impressively. There were still butterflies in her stomach though. They seated themselves around his desk and he smiled at them.

"You've made a full recovery," he said happily. "I thought you would, the other patients did as well."

"That's great," Harry and Ginny said at the same time.

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "You're free to go now. Also, I'll be mailing a letter to your classmates informing them that they need to be treated."

"Great," said Ginny. She felt immensely relieved and that giddiness from the morning returned full blast. Once they had flooed home Ginny jumped into Harry's arms and kissed him full on the mouth.

"Oi!" said a voice interrupting them. They broke apart to see Ron and Hermione sitting together on the loveseat. "Get a room if you're going to do that!"

"This _is_ a room, Ron," Ginny reminded him, but she was too happy to feel angry at him.

"Well, you've definitely been cured then," said Ron, smiling. Hermione squealed and pulled Ginny into a hug. Then Ron stood up and hugged her too. The commotion drew the attention of her mother, who cried with happiness and vowed that she was going to make Ginny's favourite foods for dinner.

Feeling much more alive than she had in days, she dragged Harry outside with her to enjoy the remainder of the day. She lay on the grass, staring up at the clear blue sky with a smile plastered on her face, while Harry lay next to her.

**That turned out much longer than I expected! I suppose it makes up for all the time missed. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, as I go back to Uni next week, but hopefully it will be soon! Don't forget to favourite/follow and review! It's always appreciated to hear feedback.**


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